Garrett Schmidt | Trumpet

Garrett Schmidt, Assistant Professor of Jazz, teaches jazz trumpet, jazz arranging, jazz combo, jazz improvisation, and directs the Concert Jazz Band at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Before moving back to Illinois, Garrett was an active musician in New York City, playing at Jazz Standard, Shapeshifter Lab, Somethin’ Jazz Club, 54 Below, Tea Lounge, The Garage, and Radio City Music Hall.

Garrett is an active clinician and performer. He has performed world-wide with the Maria Schneider Orchestra(Tokyo Blue Note, Jazz Standard, University of Maryland, Elmhurst Jazz Festival, Barcelona, Luxembourg, Vienna, Zürich, Geneva, Basel). He has also performed/toured with the Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project, John LaBarbera Big Band, Glenn Miller Orchestra, The Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Who, Weird Al Yankovic, Boyz II Men, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

In 2014, Garrett performed 8 shows a week with the Broadway production of ‘Cabaret’ at Studio 54. As a member of this production, he had the opportunity to play on both the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Today Show.

Garrett holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music. His debut small group release, Prairie Tales, can be purchased on Amazon and iTunes and is available on most streaming platforms.