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 principal 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.
Early in her career, Brinker taught K-5 group piano at Isles Elementary School, located in East Lubbock, 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 and various other newspapers and magazines.
In 2019, she earned her Ph.D. in Fine Arts. Her research examines intersections among the arts, health, and wellness. Her doctoral research led to an affiliation with the Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project, which pregnant women and new mothers and fathers with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding childhood development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child.
Sarai Brinker is the 2019 recipient of the Professing Excellence Award at Texas Tech University.