While studying music, she was awarded a full scholarship to Aspen Music Camp in 1967 and a full summer scholarship to the Eastman School of Music (the Emily Orr Clifford Award, 1965) to study the piano.

Later, she was the recipient of a grant for a full summer program in Krefeld, Germany to pursue a language program with Indiana University. This was followed by Graduate Assistantship appointments to the University of Hawaii (1969-71) and to Indiana University (1971).

In San Diego, Lea Schmidt-Rogers was selected to be an Artist in Residence with the San Diego Unified City Schools (1983). In this community, she also served as a board member and on the planning committees of the Spreckel's Organ International Artists' series, the American Guild of Organists, the Fine Arts Series at Foothills United Methodist Church, and as President of the San Diego Branch, Music Teachers' Association of California.

Having a meaningful voice in concert planning in the San Diego area in the last fourteen years hasbeen one of the most rewarding aspects of her career.

More recent endeavors have been as an author and editor of the works of Marie Jaëll (1846-1925), a composer-pianist from Alsace, and also as a contributor to music journals. In June, 1995, Ms. Schmidt-Rogers presented a paper on Jaëll for the International Conference of the College Music Society in Berlin, Germany.

Since graduating with a Masters in Piano from the University of Hawaii and working on a post-graduate degree from Indiana University, she has given hundreds of concerts. In the last eight years she has concentrated on presenting the music of women composers, although she continues to perform many organ recitals from the volume of works of all composers.

In 1990 and 1991, she spent several months in Strasbourg, France, at the Bibliotheque Nationale et Universitaire as well as in Paris at the Association Marie Jaëll, researching the life and works of composer-pianist Marie Jaëll. (Ed. A biographical sketch and list of her works can be found here.)