▁rec it als ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 , ▁was ▁compos ing ▁music ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 1 , ▁and ▁started ▁teaching ▁piano ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁However , ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁perform ▁public ly ▁until ▁college . ▁As ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁High land ▁High ▁School , ▁he ▁frequently ▁played ▁the ▁piano ▁at ▁school ▁assemb lies ▁and ▁concert s . ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁Norway , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" mission ▁piano ▁player ". ▁ ▁Schmidt ▁was ▁offered ▁a ▁music ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ut ah , ▁but ▁decided ▁to ▁major ▁in ▁English ▁instead . ▁As ▁he ▁progress ed ▁in ▁his ▁under grad uate ▁studies , ▁he ▁began ▁thinking ▁about ▁purs uing ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁in ▁business ▁administration . ▁His ▁career ▁plans ▁changed ▁as ▁he ▁began ▁performing ▁in ▁public . ▁ ▁Musical ▁career ▁ ▁Schmidt ▁initially ▁played ▁at ▁benefit ▁concert s ▁and ▁recorded ▁his ▁music ▁for ▁sale ▁on ▁c ass ette ▁t ape . ▁He ▁then ▁decided ▁to ▁promote ▁himself ▁by ▁book ing ▁himself ▁into ▁large ▁ven ues ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁High land ▁High ▁School ▁aud itor ium , ▁which ▁he ▁filled ▁with ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁Kings bury ▁Hall , ▁the ▁largest ▁performance ▁ven ue ▁in ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City , ▁which ▁he ▁also ▁sold ▁out . ▁ ▁He ▁released ▁his ▁first ▁album , ▁August ▁End , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁After ▁that ▁he ▁signed ▁with