Tim was born into a musical family with his father Bill Hilborn an experienced piano player and music educator guiding him into his first musical experiences. Tim’s father excelled at jazz piano and played with the Tommy Dorsey band for several years. He also was Tim’s elementary and middle school music teacher.

Tim grew up playing the clarinet and bass clarinet through high school and switched to drums and percussion while attending Foothill College in Los Altos, California. He played in the back up Trio for the Foothill Fanfares Jazz Vocal group who performed in a wide variety of venues throughout the state. He also was a percussion tutor and had several percussion ensembles he directed while attending Foothill College. This is where Tim began to develop his interest for teaching music.

Tim later attended California State University Fullerton where he received a BA in Music Education and California Teaching Credential in 1990. Tim studied with Todd Miller  while attending Fullerton and later after moving back to the bay area, studied drum set with David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) and Steve Smith (Journey and Vital Information).

Besides teaching and performing, Tim has also traveled to many corners of the world seeking out adventures and learning experiences from various cultures. Many of these journeys have been by bicycle. These travels have led him into some great musical situations both as a performer and listener.

Tim has been teaching instrumental music in the San Mateo Foster City school district for the past seventeen years including both elementary and middle school assignments.
He has also kept busy playing in various groups and ensembles ranging from Jazz trios to Symphony Orchestras and everything in between on stages ranging from the Flint Center, San Mateo Performing Arts, and Lucy Stern Theater to Pearl’s and Yoshi’s. Tim has also been involved in many studio recording projects throughout the bay area including sessions at Little Indian, Sound and Vision, Music Annex and Blue Seven Studio. Currently Tim is recording and performing with his own group ZANZIBAR.