Paulo John Rubio's first music mentor in playing the trumpet was his father, Rafael. When he entered the UST for his undergraduate studies, upon the recommendation of his teacher, professor Herminigildo Ranera, he shifted to tuba as his main instrument. He graduated cum laude with a degree in Bachelor of Music, major in Music Education with Tuba Emphasis from the UST Conservatory of Music.

He also recently won awards and ranks in competitions such as: NAMCYA 2020 Open Brass Category (1st Prize); Musiko Virtual Competition 2020 Tuba Open Class (1st Prize); Asian Virtual Championships 2020 Tuba Open Class (1st Prize); Color Guards Netherlands Virtual Competition 2021 Individual Tuba Open Class (Gold with Distinction) and; Malaysia International Virtual Band Championships 2021 Solo Brass Category (Gold Distinction).