At age four, Timothy started learning piano from his mother. He began private lessons at five, and started lessons in classical piano with Jackie Murphy at seven, which continued through high school. 

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At Macalester College he discovered jazz, delving into the jazz piano repertoire by learning Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum transcriptions, including ones he transcribed himself. Beginning in summer 2013, he began teaching himself the principles of jazz improvisation, and joined the Macalester Jazz Band junior year. That year, Timothy also started taking lessons in jazz with Mike Vasich, and classical lessons with Lauri Saeger-Wright.