Donn Schaefer is originally from Vancouver, Canada. Before joining the music faculty at the University of Utah, Schaefer taught low brass and jazz studies at the University of Mississippi. Schaefer holds degrees from Bemidji State University; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and the University of Iowa.

While still a high school student, Schaefer toured with several bands of the Canadian Military, including the Royal Air Command Band. Other performing credits include the Utah Symphony, Lake Placid Sinfonietta (a chamber orchestra in NY), San Francisco Ballet, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Tennessee Philharmonic, along with freelance playing and recording in the Nashville/Memphis areas. Schaefer held an associate position with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in 1997-1998.

In May of 2008 Schaefer hosted the International Trombone Festival. This event saw many of today's brightest trombone stars perform at the University of Utah School of Music. For the past several years Donn Schaefer has toured and performed with the Cramer Trombone Choir, an international group of college trombone-professors. Recent performances include Russia, Sweden, Finland, Texas, New York, and New Orleans. Schaefer has appeared as an artist and adjudicator at the Greeley Jazz Festival, the largest jazz festival in the United States. In 2007, Schaefer was a featured soloist at the annual "76+4 Trombones" event in Las Vegas, along with Jim Pugh and Eijiro Nakagawa. Schaefer has performed and presented clinics at the Eastern Trombone Workshop and International Trombone Festivals.