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Henry James Schraub was born April 5, 1939, in New Braunfels, Texas, the son of Henry H. and Leonie Schraub. Henry’s parents were both musicians. Leonie played the piano, organ and drums and was the church organist. Henry H. started his musical career as a child. He saved his money and sent off for a mail order cornet and beginners’ book. Living and working on a family farm, his father found what his young son had done a total waste of money and time. Nevertheless, Henry H. taught himself to play the cornet, and with the onset of World War I, Henry H. enlisted in the Army and became a member of the 7th Field Artillery Band of the 1st Division, which was assigned to the front lines of the European conflict. The director of that Army Band was Colonel Frank Frank, the father of Joe Frank. Henry H. became quite an accomplished cornet player and gave all of the credit to the instruction that he received from Col. Frank. After the war Henry H. and Leonie married and settled in Cibolo, Texas. After eighteen years of marriage their only child, Henry James, was born.

Henry attended the Schertz-Cibolo schools through the eighth grade. The only musical instruction that Henry received in his early years was from his father who started him on the cornet. When it was time for Henry to enter the ninth grade, his parents decided to transfer him to Seguin High School because it had a band program. It was there that Henry became a student of Joe Rogers, the high school band director who would become one of his mentors. Because Seguin was eighteen miles from Cibolo, Henry rode the Continental Trailways bus to and from school, with the exception of Mondays. Every Monday, Henry would drive his family’s car to school so that he could attend Monday night band rehearsals. After school and before the rehearsals on those Mondays, Henry invariably would wind up at Joe and Anne Rogers’ home to study and eat supper. To say that Henry’s high school musical experience with the Seguin High School Matador Band and Joe Rogers had a major impact on his personal and professional life would be an understatement.

Henry was selected to the All-District and All-Region Bands and received a Division I rating in UIL Student Conducting with the judge Don Hatch writing, “You might consider becoming a band director.” In 1956, Henry was selected to attend Texas Boys State in Austin. Also in 1956 he received a merit award in UIL typing. His senior year, Henry was in the National Honor Society and awarded the Wilbur S. Davidson Scholarship Award given to only sixty University of Texas incoming freshmen. He graduated Highest Ranking Boy from Seguin High School in 1957.

Henry entered The University of Texas with a major in music education. While at The University, he was a member of the Symphonic Band directed by J. Frank Elsass and the Longhorn Band directed by Vincent R. DiNino. He lists Dr. Elsass, Mr. DiNino, Janet McGaughey his theory teacher, and Dr. Nelson Patrick as individuals who had a major impact on his musical career.

Upon receiving a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors from The University of Texas in 1961, Henry was offered a music theory teaching fellowship and was prepared to continue his education at The University. A phone call that summer, however, changed Henry’s plans. The Seguin High School Assistant Band position had become vacant, and Joe Rogers called inquiring if Henry would be interested in accepting the position. The job involved not only being the junior high school band director and assisting with the high school band, but also being the high school and junior high school choir director. Despite the dual responsibilities of band and choir, the opportunity to work with his high school band director was an offer Henry could not refuse.

The summer of 1963 proved to be momentous for Henry professionally and personally. After two years in Seguin, Henry accepted the head band director position in Bishop, Texas. Not only was he about to assume his first head band job, but he also married Lynda Lee Brinkman. While in Bishop, Henry’s bands were consistent Sweepstakes winners and the Bishop High School Band ranked 3rd in the State Honor Band competition.

After three years in Bishop, Henry and Lynda moved to Weatherford, Texas in 1966 where he assumed the Director of Bands position with the Weatherford Independent School District and served in that position for ten years. The Weatherford band under Henry’s direction became a consistent Sweepstakes winner, was ranked 3rd in the State Honor Band competition, and won “Best in Class” at the Tri-State Music Festival in Enid, Oklahoma. With Henry’s guidance, the Weatherford School District organized a choir program. Henry became involved in both community activities and his church, being elected President of the Weatherford Noon Lions Club, serving on various church committees and directing the church choir.

In 1976 Henry accepted the Director of Fine Arts position with the Birdville Independent School District, serving in that capacity for twenty-seven years. Under Henry’s leadership, the Birdville Fine Arts programs developed and distinguished themselves at the state and national level. Achievements included: high school bands reaching the State Marching Band Finals, a 5A and a 2C State Honor Band, a high school band performing at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Conference, five choirs performing at the TMEA convention, two choirs performing at the American Choral Directors Association Convention, two high school musicals performing at the International Thespian Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska and several One-Act Plays advancing to state and placing in the top five. The Birdville school district was recognized as one of the “100 Best Communities for Music Education in America.” Henry credits these achievements to the outstanding Fine Arts teachers in the Birdville school district.

Henry’s career spanned forty-two years. In addition to his Bachelor of Music degree, Henry received his Master of Music degree from the University of Texas in 1969 and completed additional work at the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Beta Mu National Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity. He is a Past-President of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Henry received the 2000 Outstanding Music Educator Award for Texas from the National Federation of Interscholastic Music Associations and was named the 2002-2003 Music Administrator of the Year by the Texas Music Administrators Conference. The theatre at the new Birdville High School was dedicated in his honor and named the Henry Schraub Theatre for Performing Arts. He continues to serve as a clinician and consultant throughout Texas and has served as an adjudicator at the district, regional, area and state level. He sings in his church choir and conducts The Greater Fort Worth Community Band. Henry and Lynda just celebrated their forty-fourth wedding anniversary on Friday. They have two wonderful sons – Gerick and Justin; two beautiful daughters-in-law – Angela and Tracy; and four exceptional and spirited grandchildren – Abigail Nicole, Annabelle Katelyn, Austin Henry and Katherine Lynlee. Henry says that the constants for him have been God, Lynda, family and friends.