Professor Mar Fayos

Service, Sound, and the Power of Community

Inside the Teaching World of Professor Mar Fayos

How empathy, preparation, and cultural connection shape one educator’s impact across Berklee’s ensembles and beyond

When Professor Mar Fayos talks about music, she starts with community and kindness.

Across her work in voice, ensembles, and Latin Music Studies, Fayos has built a teaching philosophy rooted in empathy, trust, and real-world readiness. Her classrooms are not just spaces for developing musicianship. They are spaces where students learn how to grow, collaborate, and become artists others want to work with. At the center of it all,“being of service to each student,” she states, “is at the foundation of my teaching” and is a belief she returns to again and again.  

A Calling Rooted in Mentorship

For Fayos, teaching was never just a career decision. Teaching was a response to something she experienced firsthand.

“I have always thought that mentors play a truly important role in our music development,” she says.

The guidance, belief, and time that her own mentors gave her became the blueprint for how she now shows up for students. After being encouraged by those mentors to begin teaching at the collegiate level, Mar stepped into the role and never looked back. “It has not always been easy,” she reflects, “but it is very fulfilling, inspiring, and rewarding.” That sense of mutual growth remains central to her identity as an educator. “I am definitely a better musician thanks to my years of teaching, and the students I have been privileged to work with.”

An Artistic Identity That Evolves

Fayos describes her artistic identity in a way that resists labels and embraces growth. “Authentic, heartfelt, and rooted in identity and self discovery.”

For Professor Fayos, artistry is not fixed. It evolves with experience, shaped by personal growth, and deepens through connection with others. It is both inward and outward facing. A process of understanding oneself, while living in service of community. That same philosophy carries directly into her teaching.

Creating Space for Growth

In the first moments of a rehearsal or class, Fayos is intentional about what students feel. Safety. Openness. Possibility.

“I try to make sure they know it is a safe space,” she says. “A place where they can work and make mistakes.”

That environment is not about lowering expectations. It is about creating the conditions where real growth can happen. It is about creating a space where students feel supported enough to take risks, and accountability. She pairs empathy with clarity. Encouragement with direction. Freedom with responsibility.

“All egos need to be left outside the classroom, starting with mine.”

Beyond the Instrument

Fayos is clear that being a great musician today requires far more than technical skill. “It is not enough to be proficient with your instrument,” she explains.

Students must learn how to function in real-world environments. That includes being prepared, organized, and aware. Knowing how to “read a room.” Understanding when to lead and when to support. Communicating effectively on stage and in rehearsal includes building the tools of a modern artist: creating booking materials, protecting their work, promoting their music, all while navigating relationships and opportunities. Her goal is simple:

“I want to see students feel ready to step into the real world and succeed.”

The Balance Between Structure and Freedom

In rehearsal spaces, Fayos navigates one of the most important tensions in music education: Structure and Freedom. “That balance is fragile,” she admits.

Her approach is to create a clear framework for what needs to be accomplished, while leaving space for exploration, experimentation, and student voice. She encourages ideas, invites collaboration, and allows room for discovery, while still expecting preparation, commitment, and respect for the music and for one another. Students are not just participants in her ensembles. They are contributors. They are asked to think, to shape, and to engage.

Learning to Play Together

One of the most important skills Fayos develops in her students is the ability to truly collaborate. She encourages them to function as a band beyond the classroom by rehearsing together, sharing ideas, supporting one another, and building relationships that extend past scheduled class time. Those moments build community. They allow students to understand each other’s musical tendencies, strengthen their listening, and deepen their ability to respond in real time. In doing so, they begin to unlock what ensemble playing really is. It is not just coordination. It is connection.

When the Music Comes Alive

There is a moment in ensemble playing when everything shifts. For Fayos, it is one of the most powerful parts of teaching. “It is fascinating to witness when music starts to feel organic and alive,” she says. There is a before and after for that group,” she explains. “The same transformation happens in private lessons, when a student breaks through a limitation and discovers a new level of expression. These are the moments that define the work.”

Moving Through Doubt

When students encounter creative blocks or self-doubt, Professor Fayos does not push them harder toward perfection. She invites them to shift their approach, take a break to reset, and then return with a different mindset. She encourages exploration without judgment. Writing ideas down without dismissing them too early. Letting go of the pressure to produce the best result immediately.

“After releasing the fear of perfection, that exploration allows them to get closer to what they want,” she says,. “And often, to surpass it.”

Transformation That Lasts

By the end of the semester, Professor Fayos hopes students leave with more than improved technique. She wants them to know themselves more deeply and feel that they have let go of limiting beliefs, unlocking new skills and new possibilities. Her goal is for her students to leave more confident, more capable, and more connected to their own voice. In her classroom, students develop musicianship alongside communication, leadership, listening, and presence. Through it all, one message remains constant:

“Be a good person first.”

A Commitment to Culture and Community

Professor Fayos’s work extends far beyond the classroom. From her earliest days at Berklee, she has been deeply connected to the Latin and Hispanic community, working to create opportunities for artistic and professional growth across the institution. She co-created Ídolos Latinos in 2017 alongside Donovan Sierra, helping launch a platform that celebrates Latin artistry and community. She also co-founded LABS, the  Latin American Association of Berklee Students. Her work has also supported initiatives such as the Latin Vocal Series, Latin Music Night, and Somos Latinx programming. Today, Professor Fayos serves as a faculty advisor and program manager for Latin Music Studies and the Latin Music Minor, continuing to build pathways for students rooted in culture, identity, and connection. For Fayos, this work is essential. “Music was created through the need to communicate and create community,” she says. “It is our responsibility to keep that tradition alive.”

“Belonging comes from learning, working, and growing together.”

Students as the Future

Fayos speaks about her students with both pride and perspective. She has seen them sign with major companies, tour internationally, write successful songs, and step into leadership roles across the industry, but what matters most to her is something deeper. “My biggest joy is seeing them redefine their idea of success.”

Success, in her view, is not only about achievement. It is about fulfillment. Success is building a life in music that feels meaningful, sustainable, and aligned with who they are.

Leading Through Curiosity

Professor Fayos remains inspired by staying engaged. She reads. She listens. She studies. She stays curious.

At the same time, she remains grounded in the understanding that growth is ongoing and imperfect. “It is important to be humble and recognize areas for improvement,” she says.

That humility is not separate from her leadership. It is a fundamental part of it.

Looking Ahead

As she looks toward the future, Fayos is energized by both her students and the continued growth of Latin Music Studies. She speaks with excitement about seeing students graduate into careers that inspire them, and about watching current initiatives take shape and create lasting impact. “This semester has been exciting and fulfilling,” she says.

In many ways, that energy reflects the larger momentum of the community she continues to help build.

A Legacy of Care and Possibility

When asked what legacy she hopes to leave, Fayos answers simply.

To share her love for music.

To lead with compassion.

To create a positive impact.

She also holds onto a larger belief,.

“With vision, consistency, and team effort, even the biggest challenges can be overcome.”

In a department built on ensemble work, that message feels especially resonant.

Because at its core, Mar Fayos’s work is not just about teaching music,

it is about teaching people how to build community.

At a Glance: Professor Mar Fayos

Role: Professor of Voice and Ensembles, Berklee College of Music

Ensembles: Introduction to Latin Styles for Vocalists, Mixed Pop and Jazz, R&B, Introduction to Latin Jazz, Small Jazz Band.

Teaching Philosophy: Empathy, trust, preparation, and being of service to each student

Guiding Principle: “Be a good person first.”

Focus Areas: Voice, collaboration, improvisation, real-world readiness, and community building

Institutional Impact: Leader in Latin Music Studies and long-standing standing contributor to Berklee’s Latino community initiatives

Student Transformation Goal: Greater self-awareness, fewer limitations, and expanded creative possibility

This Semester: Exciting and fulfilling