Mother of Kristin Lems, Carol Lems-Dworkin was born in Chicago, Illinois, but spent most of her life in nearby Evanston, Illinois. She received her bachelor’s degree in botany from Northwestern University in 1947. In 1960, she returned to earn her master’s degree in music and piano performance, becoming a professor at Kendall College soon afterward. She also taught at Northwestern University, Barat College, National-Lewis University, Chicago State University, and Chicago Conservatory College. A proponent of Johann Sebastian Bach, Lems-Dworkin recorded eight albums of the composer’s music. She was also a published author and poet, authoring "Africa in Scott Joplin’s Music" and "African Music: A Pan-African Annotated Bibliography." A nonprofit organization called World Music Center, which brought in artists from around the world to play the traditional music of their heritage, was founded by Lems-Dworkin in 1975 and is currently managed by her grandson.

She passed away on July 16, 2019, shortly after celebrating her 95th birthday.