Originally from Illinois, she earned her Bachelors in Music Performance and Education at Eastern Illinois University and then taught K-12 music (general, vocal, and instrumental) full time in the Chicago area for over 12 years. She also holds Masters degrees in Musicology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and in Ethnomusicology from the Eastman School of Music, and is completing her PhD in Music Education at the Eastman School of Music. She is currently doing research in the areas of music teacher identity development, informal music learning, and embodied musiking in communities of praxis. Professor Brashier teaches elementary and secondary general and choral music methods and critical pedagogy courses, supervises student teachers and conducts a student teacher seminar, and is a NAfME Chapter advisor.