Sarai Brinker

Sarai Brinker received a B.A. in Natural History and Humanities as well as a B.A. in Music from Texas Tech University in 2006. Her principle instrument is percussion; she also plays the piano. She received her Master's degree from TCU in 2009.During this time, she completed fieldwork in Ethiopia and Ghana, where she focused on worship music in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the impact of Christian Missionaries on worship hymns in Nalerigu, Ghana. 

For many years, she taught K-5 group piano at Isles Elementary School and directed a private piano studio. She worked as a freelance writer and journalist, writing for the Arts and Culture pages of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Her publications also appeared in the Miami Herald, Chicago Sun-Times, and various other newspapers and magazines. 

She returned to Texas Tech to complete her Ph.D. in Fine Arts, focusing on medical ethnomusicology. Her doctoral research led to an affiliation with the Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project, which remains the focus of her research. 

Sarai Brinker is the 2019 recipient of the Professing Excellence Award at Texas Tech University.