Career
He currently teaches gamelan and instrument building at Mills College. He is also a long-time collaborator with Paul Dresher. Schmidt has helped build many American gamelans, including Si Darius/Si Madeleine with Lou Harrison and Bill Colvig, and the aluminum gamelan that is used by Gamelan Pacifica in Seattle.
He is currently working on an aluminum gamelan, "Gift", in collaboration with students at Mills College.
"Gift" uses the same tuning and extended range as the instruments Si Darius/Si Madeleine, and finished instruments are used in performance with Si Darius/Si Madeleine. Recording, vinyl, "In My Arms, Many Flowers" will be released in the spring of 2016.
