William Schmidt was a composer, arranger and the founder of Western International Music, Inc. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946 as arranger for the Admiral's Band on the USS Iowa. Following his stint in the Navy he attended Chicago Musical College studying with Max Wald and moved to Los Angeles in 1952 where he studied with Ingolf Dahl at the University of Southern California receiving his Bachelor's and Master's in Music Composition. Influenced by jazz and folk music he mostly composed and arranged for saxophone, winds, brass and percussion. His Double Concerto for Trumpet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1981.

Tony...or Jim... was written for trumpeter Anthony Plog and tubist Jim Self. This jazz inspired work, in five movements, depicts the adventures of a Roadrunner (Tony) and an Elephant (Jim).