Tina Hizon is a mult-instrumentalist musician from London, England. Over the past decade she has been a touring keyboardist, vocalist and violinist behind some of pop music’s most influential artists. I first met Tina on a tour a few years ago and she recently took some time out of her rehearsal schedule to talk to me about her incredible journey from opening up the Eras Tour with Maisie Peters to her most recent gigs with Olivia Rodrigo. To put it bluntly, Tina is the reason you scream your head off when you hear the first few notes of your favorite songs at a show. 

Hi Tina, it’s such a pleasure to get to talk to you about everything music! Can you tell me about growing up in London and how that influenced who you are as a musician? 

I was born and raised in London, but both of my parents are from the Philippines, so culturally I had a very mixed upbringing, but music was always a big part of my life growing up. My parents would take me to singing and dance classes, and at the age of four I was playing Tam in Miss Saigon on the West End. I feel so lucky and grateful to have had these opportunities that came from growing up in a city like London. It has such a thriving live music scene and is the place where everyone goes to gig and meet other musicians, so I feel very blessed that this is where I was brought up.

Wow, that is so much fun and so adorable to think about. 

I’ve always loved musical theatre– my mum had VHS tapes of Cats and Les Miserables. She told me when she was pregnant with me, she would sing “Memory” from Cats, so it felt inevitable that I would also love it. From having the opportunity at such a young age to be on the West End, I quickly learned how much I enjoyed music and performing, and I think my parents saw this too.

It seems you were always a performer at heart. Was where you are today always the dream? 

I think in some roundabout way, this was and still is the dream today. I always knew I wanted to perform on stage in some capacity, as it’s where I feel the most comfortable. When I started playing piano and violin, it felt like a great way of expressing myself and still does. The journey has been so interesting, and I found that whenever I tried to step away from music, opportunities would continue to arise to show me that music was and still is my purpose and passion in life. I’ve learned so much over the past decade and met so many wonderful people– there’s nothing I would want to change.

You mentioned your parents’ influence on your taste, has your Filipino heritage influenced who you are as an artist today? 

Music is such a big part of Filipino culture and all my family love to sing karaoke. In the Philippines, they absolutely love power ballads and I think that’s been a massive influence on my piano playing and melodies I write and enjoy.

As someone who has watched your career over the past three years, I know how important it is for you to connect with your bandmates and the artist you’re working for. What is it like fostering new friendships on the road and do you feel like you’ve found lifelong bonds in touring?

Joining new bands and projects always feels like starting at a new school – you’re trying to learn everyone’s names and make friends ‘cause essentially you’re about to be in this intense living environment with everyone for the next few weeks, months or even years. Touring constantly requires adapting to new surroundings and situations, so having friends on the road to share it all with makes such a difference. I have definitely found lifelong bonds along the way and would consider some of my very best friends ones that I’ve met through touring. You spend every minute together living on a tour bus, so there’s moments and memories that you will share with these people forever.

Speaking of best friends, what was your journey like as part of Maisie Peters’ band? 

I met Maisie and started playing music with her when she was 17, which was 9 years ago now. It’s been so wonderful watching her grow as an artist and write such beautiful songs. She’s one of the most hardworking, intelligent, caring and funny people I know, and I consider her my best friend and sister. It’s such a joy and privilege to have shared so much on and off the stage, while touring the world together. Joining her team from the start made supporting the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Taylor Swift and playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury mean so much more.

It seems like you all are more like a family than coworkers! Do you have a favorite memory with that group?

We are definitely more like a family than co-workers, which makes sense since we’ve spent almost three years constantly on tour together. My favourite memory is when we first toured Australia in 2023. We were away for nearly two months, and as we were supporting Ed Sheeran we had so many days off between shows that it ended up feeling like a holiday. So much so that four of us went on a vacation to the Great Barrier Reef, and ended up fully kitted out in wetsuits and flippers, which took all of us by surprise. We then went snorkelling, and the guide pointed out a reef shark directly below Maisie – to her absolute dismay.

Was there a turning point in your career that changed the way you thought about your job?

I think like everyone else, COVID was such a big turning point. I was in rehearsals for Dua Lipa when we were told that we were going into lockdown and everything was cancelled. It was devastating for the touring industry and it was a make or break period for artists. Having such a big break from constantly travelling made me reevaluate my priorities when taking on projects – in this industry we can sometimes have this scarcity mindset with gigs and opportunities. But if I hadn’t had the time to stop, I never would have learnt the value in sometimes saying no to things. During this period I also started doing more music production which was something I was holding off for a long time. I realised it was important to have eggs in other baskets as well.

You and I both know how days can blend together whenever you’re touring for weeks on end…Is there anything that you do on tour to keep yourself engaged and excited every night? 

Playing with my best friends and catching each other’s eyes on stage mid-gig fills me with so much joy. Also when it’s headline shows and the fans are singing every word and having the best time. Those moments make all the long days and travelling so worth it. I feel so lucky to be able to visit different cities, and places that I maybe wouldn’t have had the chance to see outside of touring. 

Congratulations on your recent performances with Olivia Rodrigo! It was so incredibly impressive and inspiring to see you playing during her surprise set at Primavera Sound and on the BBC live lounge. What has life been like for you over the past two weeks? How does it feel to have been a part of those performances? 

Thanks so much! It’s been such a whirlwind. Playing for Olivia has been a dream gig of mine for such a long time, and for it to finally happen has felt so surreal. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been working hard for the past decade to be ready for a moment like this. Live Lounge has also been on my bucket list for a long time, and to have waited ten years to finally play with one of the biggest artists in the world, it was worth the wait.

Is there a favorite moment from either? 

Playing “deja vu” at Primavera was such a highlight – it was the moment I was able to stop and really take in everything that was happening. Hearing the crowd singing so loud, playing the iconic keys intro and then Olivia starts singing– I’ll carry that moment with me for the rest of my life.

Is there something you wish you knew about touring before getting into it? 

I wish someone had told me the importance of taking time for yourself. Being on tour, you’re constantly surrounded by people 24/7, and you can sometimes feel obliged to always be social and hang out. I’m naturally quite introverted and have had to learn how to be more extroverted, but my social battery sometimes runs low and I’ve learned over the years that it’s okay to take some alone time to reset and recharge.

Is there any sort of advice you would give other women who are aspiring to become full time musicians? 

Having confidence and knowing your strengths is so important. The music industry can be very tough with the constant comparisons to others, especially with social media. But if you know what you have to offer and are confident in your abilities and individuality, that can really give you a strong foundation and edge in the industry. Having the ability to thrive and adapt to different teams and social situations is a big lesson I had to learn. When you’re touring, the gig is only a small percentage of the day – the rest is being able to hang and get on with others. The industry can be quite small and you constantly cross paths with people, so reputation plays a big part in getting work. Try to make a good first impression with people because you never know when you might see someone again.

Interview: Dillon Matthew

Photography: Sophie Scott