The University of Missouri Board of Curators awarded G Schmiedeke the prestigious Remington R. Williams Award this summer. Schmiedeke is studying music education and music theory at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In addition to playing in multiple ensembles in the Department of Music, Schmiedeke also tutors fellow students and teaches lessons to community members throughout the St. Louis region. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
G Schmiedeke believes that to be human is to be a musician, and that philosophy has driven him to support the promise of burgeoning musicians throughout the St. Louis region as a dedicated mentor and tutor.
Despite a busy schedule as a double major in music education and music theory at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Schmiedeke makes time to tutor fellow UMSL students in aural skills, music theory and piano and regularly leads group study sessions before finals.
In addition to playing with multiple UMSL ensembles, including the UMSL Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Triton Sound Pep Band and Jazz Combo, Schmiedeke also gives back to the St. Louis community. He volunteers at Gateway Music Outreach – a partner organization of the E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative – teaching individual and group lessons on violin, viola and bass and with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Peer-to-Peer program as a bass teacher. At Hazelwood West High School, he serves as an AP music theory tutor, assistant with the pit orchestra for the spring musical and percussion technician with the marching band.
Schmiedeke knows it would certainly be easier to take a step back and focus solely on his education, but that would be a betrayal of his values.
“Every part of me is a person that wants to be a musician and a person that wants to be good,” he said. “I want to be a good musician, but I want to be a good teacher and a good person. I am really, truly of the belief that every person is by nature a musician. To be human is to be a musician, and because of that, being somebody who has music as such a central part of my being and my humanity, I just want that opportunity to be given to every single person that I can possibly give it to.”
In recognition of those efforts, the University of Missouri System Board of Curators chose Schmiedeke as a recipient of the 2026 Remington R. Williams Award. Named for the late UM Board of Curators Student Representative Remington Williams, the honor is given to seven students throughout the UM System annually. It recognizes, “exceptional student leaders who have made an impact on their respective institution, inspired growth and development of fellow students in both academics and extracurricular activities and exhibited outstanding character and collaborative spirit at all times.”
Joanna Mendoza, chair of the UMSL Department of Music, said Schmiedeke represents the highest ideals of the university through academic excellence, community service and leadership.
“G demonstrates outstanding character, humility and professionalism,” Mendoza wrote in her nomination. “His participation and leadership in UMSL Music ensembles are evidence of his collaborative nature, and he exhibits empathy and personal engagement that make him a trusted leader and valued member of both the UMSL and St. Louis music communities.”
Schmiedeke is thankful for the recognition but noted that he’s a product of the environment at UMSL.
“I love celebrating our music department, and to me, any of us getting an award is just showing how wonderful and how robust and how amazing our department is,” he said. “I’m nothing without everybody there, so I’m just very grateful.”
Education and music have been constant presences in Schmiedeke’s life since childhood. His mother comes from a family of musicians and teaches high school orchestra, while his father is an elementary school teacher. The soundtrack of the family house in Fenton, Missouri, was an eclectic mix of 2000s pop, classical, jazz and showtunes. There was also no shortage of instruments lying around, and not long after Schmiedeke could walk and talk, he was “playing” the violin.
“I was put in violin lessons a little bit before I turned 3,” he said with a laugh. “The first few years didn’t really count because I was just looking cute and holding the violin.”
Schmiedeke added cello and piano to his repertoire in elementary school and picked up the bass in middle school. During high school, he got involved with pretty much every ensemble available at Rockwood Summit as well as the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Music was essential to his upbringing, but volunteer service was also a priority.
“My family is a really big believer of anything that we have belongs to everybody around us,” Schmiedeke said. “We are a certified foster family. My youngest brother is adopted, so we’ve done things through the foster system. Every year, we do clothing drives, and I was always making donation signs for winter coats, hats, socks and shoes. But I really got into volunteer work through music when I was in high school, and that maintains being a very important part of my life.”
That unwavering commitment to music and service to others has continued at UMSL. The Department of Music has become a second family for Schmiedeke. He’s enjoyed the incredibly welcoming, supportive environment and found mentors in Associate Professor Zachary Cairns, Adjunct Instructor Erin Odell and Assistant Teaching Professor David Wacyk.
“The three of them have really shaped not only the way that I view myself internally as a musician and how I want to improve, but they also have been the educators that I really want to become,” Schmiedeke said.
With Cairns’ encouragement, Schmiedeke added music theory as a second major and began to tutor fellow students in the subject. Tutoring has provided opportunities to apply what he’s learned in the classroom and helped him become a more effective educator. The hands-on experience has illustrated an important lesson – everyone learns differently.
“The biggest thing that I’ve taken away is understanding how people understand things, so that I can talk to them,” he said. “I think the classical music world is closed off because the language that is used is just so technical and elite and highbrow, and it keeps so many people out. Bringing humanity back into the conversation has been my favorite thing.”
Schmiedeke also tries to make classical music more accessible through free private lessons for students that are ready to take the next step in their development but might not be financially able otherwise.
“I did not grow up super wealthy, and my parents did everything that they could to give me that opportunity, so I really, really, really try to give that back,” he said.
Schmiedeke has always envisioned himself serving as a high school orchestra director one day, but he’s also open to going into higher education. No matter where his future career takes him, he’s prepared to succeed.
“The support, the education and the opportunities that I have received because of UMSL allow me to feel confident in giving support, education and opportunities to other people,” he said. “I feel that for the rest of my career, both as a student and as an educator, that I will be referring back to all the notes that I’ve taken in my classes in my time at UMSL.”
