Daniel Schmidt  

 

Director of Bands,
and Professor
Daniel.Schmidt@nau.edu
928-523-7680
Building 37, Room 182
NAU Bands 
PhD Wind Conducting, University o f Kentucky
MM Wind Conducting, University of North Texas
BM Education, Florida State University

Dr. Daniel J. Schmidt is Professor of Bands at Northern Arizona University. Prior to this appointment, he was director of bands and professor of saxophone and double reeds at Mars Hill College in North Carolina.  College ensembles under his direction have received international reputations, touring Europe, performing at various conventions including the CBDNA Regional Conventions in 2002, 2006, and 2010 as well as a variety of state MENC conventions. The NAU Wind Symphony has made promotional recordings for Warner Bros. Music and Carl Fischer Music. 

Prior to Dr. Schmidt’s appointment at Mars Hill College, he was the associate director of bands at Syracuse University, directing the 230-piece “Pride of the Orange” marching band and various concert and pep bands. 

Dr. Schmidt received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University and was appointed director of bands at Hudson High School in Pasco County, Florida, in 1987.  He is the first person to receive the Master of Music in wind conducting from the University of North Texas while emphasizing saxophone performance and musicology (1993).  Dr. Schmidt is also the first person to receive the Doctorate of Musical Arts in wind conducting from the University of Kentucky (2000). 

Dr. Schmidt was the recipient of a Fulbright Award to Australia in 1993, but refused this opportunity to join the Syracuse University faculty.  He has served as clinician and adjudicator throughout the country.  He is the Primary Conductor and Director of Scholarly Publications for Carl Fischer Music of New York. 

Projects have included acting as the coordinating editor for the recent series of band scores entitled Percy Grainger: The Critical Edition.  He is the author of My First Klosé, My First Wagner, My First Universal Method, My First Barrett, and My First Weissenborn, five intermediate lesson workbooks for woodwinds, and is the co-author of Protocol: A Guide to the Collegiate Audition Process for trumpet, clarinet, trombone, saxophone, and flute.

He is the conductor of the Trade Winds, a professional ensemble that does promotional recordings of new music for Carl Fischer and Wingert-Jones since 2002.  Dr. Schmidt is also a performing artist for the Yamaha Corporation of America and is the Arizona State Chair and Vice-President of the Western Region for the College Band Directors National Association.