Leading with Grace, Grit and Community
If you’ve shared a stage with bassist Lois Majors (’27), you’ve felt it…the calm, anchored energy that makes everyone else play better. A classically trained violinist for 12 years, Lois found home on bass as a teen, learning by ear with family and community programs before stepping into Berklee. Since then, she’s stacked ensembles (five… sometimes seven at a time!), scholarship groups, and gigs across campus and Boston, thriving in rooms where she’s sometimes the guide, and other times the most eager learner.
Recently, Lois was personally invited by Terri Lyne Carrington to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival, a milestone that reflects her growing artistry and commitment to musical excellence. Earlier this summer, she attended a transformative intensive under the mentorship of bass legend Christian McBride, where she found herself surrounded by world-class musicians and battling a deeper challenge: the lingering effects of carpal tunnel syndrome that left her fighting through both physical pain and imposter syndrome.
Yet instead of folding under pressure, Lois created her own recovery toolkit: journal the reps, name the gaps, give yourself grace, and keep moving. “I’d ask, why did that line fall apart—reading, mechanics, or position? Then I would watch, learn, and adjust,” she says. That reflective loop fuels steady growth without the spiral.
In rehearsals, Lois brings radical empathy: “I try to keep the room positive and make sure everyone feels seen.” Her collaboration lens is clear—lift others when you’re strong, ask for help when you’re not, and treat feedback as fuel. The long game? Become the musician people light up to see on the call sheet. Eventually return home to teach and mentor the next wave.
Lois’s advice to first ensemble students: “Focus on community. Appreciate everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Ask how you can help the ensemble become great..not just how the ensemble can make you great.”
