Henry Lee Emphrey IV grew up in Maplewood and Richmond Heights in St. Louis, Missouri. Henry had a fervant zeal for music as a kid. His zeal spawned from his high school music teacher Steven Ivory Travis who took Henry to Drum Corps shows and an immense sounding Tuba festival. Many don’t know that Henry’s zeal for music also spawned from video game soundtracks dating from the NES and Super NES days. Henry was multi-talented playing the Tuba and drums. While other kids roamed the neighborhood when he was younger, Henry was always at home practicing, reading, and studying. He also marched with Drum Corps and Marching Bands outside of school; namely bands such as the Missouri Lion’s Band and the St. Louis, Missouri V.P Fair Honor’s Band (a band that played at the St. Louis V.P. Fair festival annually during the 90’s). Later, he also played the Tuba for St. Louis University pep band during St. Louis University basketball games when St. Louis University was a nationally ranked team. He was always traveling and performing with the above groups during his youth.
This is Henry when he marched with the V.P. Fair honor’s band of St. Louis, Missouri.
Henry was dedicated to music and was talented enough to performance with college students while still in high school.
This is Quebec, Canada. This was one of the cities Henry performed in at the age of 16
Henry later attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). This was where Henry discovered that he enjoys writing books. Thus, before he graduated from UMSL, he wrote “Earth Man” and “WHY.” Following his graduation, he wrote ” HWWHY”, “Only Her”, and “Yums of Jams.”
Yums of Jams is one of Henry’s latest books that debut in 2008.
When he began teaching in the St. Louis Public School district at a school called Peabody, he studied game development and made his own computer games at night. His first game was called Peabody and it was a game made as parody recognizing the hardships of working for the school. Henry also made a game about himself and his life story. When attending graduate school; sometimes instead of turning in a hard-copy paper report like other students, Henry would make a game that contained the content of his assignment. This impressed both his professors and his classmates alike. Henry’s zeal for making games also transferred over to his enjoyment for building websites; something that he also liked to do as a hobby.
Above is a game that Henry made while working at a school called “Peabody.” It was a game made as parody for the place he worked.
This is a game called “Henry Emphrey.” It’s a game that Henry made about himself.
Henry also traveled. He taught English and music in China and Thailand.
Above is Henry playing drums in a parade with a Marching Band in Thailand.
While Henry continues to do all of his hobbies from traveling, to playing music, to making games, to programming and making websites, he found that he also enjoyed working with special needs children and remains a teacher in both the St. Louis Public School District and Special School District working with Special Education students. His dream now is to live long term in Thailand working remotely.