Dr. Edward Schmiedecke received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in choral conducting and music education from Florida State University and the University of South Florida, and his Doctorate in vocal performance from the University of Miami. As an educator, Dr. Schmiedecke serves as chairman of the Governing Committee of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Master Teacher Collaborative and has served on the executive board of the New Jersey Music Administrators Association. He was a member of the New Jersey Department of Education team which developed and wrote the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Fine, Visual and Performing Arts Frameworks. He has taught on the faculties of Barry University, William Paterson University, the University of Miami, and is a guest lecturer at New Jersey City University.

For seventeen years, Dr. Schmiedecke was Director of Music at Emmanuel Church in Ridgewood, and during that time led the Chancel Choir in a variety of works from diverse musical periods, earning the choir a reputation for musical excellence and superior choral singing. Dr. Schmiedecke has also served as Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Las Vegas, Miami Springs Presbyterian Church in Miami, and Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, Florida.  A mainstay in the musical life of New Jersey for the past twenty years, Dr. Schmiedecke recently retired from his position as Supervisor of Music, Dance, Visual and Applied Arts for the Ridgewood public school system. As a judge/adjudicator and clinician for Performing Arts Consultants, he works with choirs from all over the United States, and has been invited to present choral clinics and conduct festival choirs in Florida, Nevada, New Jersey and Wisconsin by the American Choral Directors Association and the Music Educators National Conference (MENC).