Tina grew up in Fremont, California. She began her musical training on piano as a child, but was always drawn to stringed instruments. She finally persuaded her parents to buy her a guitar at age 14, and later a mandolin. Thus began the wonderful journey of exploring the world of old-time country music from the 20s-40s, bluegrass music from the 40s-60s and learning music by ear. In 1975, Tina moved to Seattle, Washington and played mandolin, guitar and upright bass in various old-time and bluegrass bands. In 1978, a concert featuring a group of three Cajun musicians - Marc Savoy, Dewey Balfa and Rodney Balfa - changed the course of that musical path forever. In 1983, Tina moved to Louisiana, finished college and went to work with the world-renown accordion builder, Marc Savoy. Along with learning music on her own by ear, Tina also is a self-taught luthier having built several Appalachian dulcimers, two mandolins and one violin. Marc had more work than he alone could handle and learning that Tina had woodworking skills, he was happy to have her work with him building the Acadian brand, Cajun accordion. For more information on Acadian accordions, please visit the Savoy Music Center website at www.savoymusiccenter.com.
Living in Eunice, Louisiana, where lies the heart of traditional Cajun music, gave her plenty of opportunities to study with two of the finest fiddlers in the area: Dennis McGee, in his 90s at the time; and Wade Frugé , in his 70s at the time. The Savoy Music Center provided a place for the old-timers to play their music and to be appreciated. Many afternoons, Tina would bring Dennis to the music store where she would accompany him on guitar and record every note for later study. Wade could still drive and would spend many hours visiting the music store, sometimes playing, sometimes just telling stories. Tina made many visits to Wade’s home and was part of many house parties where she and Wade would jam with friends. There were many other Cajun musicians who were part of the weekly Saturday morning jam sessions at Savoy Music Center. Some of the wonderful Cajun musicians who were there twenty years ago, are no longer with us - greats like Aldus Roger, Cheeze Reed, Dewey Balfa, Milton Adams, Octa Clark, Preston Manuel, Chuck Guillory, Jack Leger, Lopaul Manuel, Maurice Barzas, and many other little known traditional musicians. Besides informal jamming, Tina has also played fiddle with several Cajun bands in the last twenty years - Maurice Barzas and the Original Mamou Playboys, Milton Adams and the Midnight Playboys, the Magnolia Sisters, and most recently with Felton LeJeune and the Cajun Cowboys. She has also played bass with the Savoy-Doucet and Savoy-Smith Cajun Bands.Today most of the old-timers are gone, but Tina continues to listen, learn, play and teach the traditional Cajun fiddle styles that won her heart some 25 years ago.
Tina recently met Rodney Fontenot, age 90 at the time of this writing, who at the age of 14 began learning the music of Dennis McGee. At that time Dennis was in his 30s and living across the road from Rodney’s family. Rodney played a few years for house dances and in some of the first dancehalls in the area around Ville Platte, Louisiana, before retiring from music to make a living at various enterprises. Having studied Dennis’s style for the last twenty years, Tina was able to play second violin with Rodney the first time they met. Believing it was important to preserve the style of this last living representative of the oldest form of Cajun music, Tina produced her first CD on her own Sterling Productions Label - Rodney Fontenot with Tina Pilione, Cajun Fiddle the Way it Was. They have played at several festivals and in the summer of 2002 were invited to be on staff at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington. Tina continues to find musicians that still play in the traditional style and in 2004 brought Raymond Cormier, a fine Cajun fiddler; and Andrew Cormier, a fine Cajun accordion player to the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, where she accompanied them on guitar. The Sterling Productions Label’s second release is a live recording from the Rodair Club of Andrew’s fine dancehall band from the heyday of Cajun music. For the Fiddle Tunes festival in the summer of 2004, Raymond, Andrew and Tina got together and made a CD, Sterling Productions Label’s third release.
Besides playing music, for over twenty years now Tina has been traveling to dancehalls all over Cajun country recording bands known only to the local area that are examples of the most traditional Cajun sounds. These are some of the finest musicians yet not by profession. In the near future, Tina plans to edit these original stereo cassette recordings and produce more CDs so that this beautiful, authentic Cajun dancehall music will remain alive now and far into the future as the last of the old-time dancehalls are now closing their doors. Check this webpage for information on how to order Sterling Productions Label CDs and for information on new releases.
Most recently, while participating in the 2002 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, another traditional music swept Tina off her feet. For the first time, Tina heard and saw Juan Reynoso, age 91 at that time, play the achingly beautiful music from an isolated region in Mexico known as Tierra Caliente. She was invited by Paul Anastasio, a fine violinist from Seattle who is a master of many tradition fiddle styles, to go to Mexico to study with Juan Reynoso at his home in Riva Palacio, Michoacan. Tina went for the first time in November of 2003 and then again in November of 2004. She continues to study the music and culture of Tierra Caliente and wants to spend as much time as possible with Juan and hopes to also study with other violinists and guitarists of the region in the coming years. For more information on Paul Anastasio, Juan Reynoso and the music of Tierra Caliente, please visit Paul’s website at www.swingcatenterprises.com.
Although music is a large part of Tina’s life, other pursuits also fill her time. She is a Certified Educator of Holistic Management. Please see the Savory Center website for more information at www.holisticmanagement.org. For the last three years, Tina has been learning how to train and handle border collies for farm work and herding competitions. She raised and trained her first from a pup and has begun to compete in the local cow dog association trials. She plans to begin sheepdog trialing in the winter of 2004. She keeps a few head of goats and sheep for training and hopes to have a few head of cattle in the near future. To complete the picture are a few yard chickens and a couple hundred bobwhite quail.
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