Meet Ian Maksin | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Maksin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, how does your business help the community?
I do believe music is one of the most powerful tools that can open minds and change the world for the better. I do know that music can heal and can bring peace and comfort inside human soul. Also from the experience of traveling the world for my music, and playing for people in different countries, I learned that music can bring people together, despite language barrier, cultural, religious and socioeconomic differences.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been playing music since I was 3 years old. Playing my current instrument, the cello, since I was 6. I fell in love with the sound of the cello when I was a little kid and decided I had to learn how to play it, whatever it took. Back then I somehow knew there was something deep and healing about its sound. It’s been a long and rocky road, but I am very grateful for every step of the way and it’s been an amazing journey. I would not want have changed anything even if I could, in retrospective. I love what I do, and what I do resonates with people and gives them hope, comfort and healing. I believe that this is the key to happiness – doing something you love, that happens to make difference in peoples lives. I get to share my music with thousands of people in different parts of the world. So far in 2024 only, I have performed in 9 countries and have gained at least 18 stamps in my new passport! It’s been an amazing ride.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Haha that’s a hard one, because I don’t really live in one place. Although I do have a place in Chicago, and that’s where most of my stuff is, I am barely ever there. When I have downtime, I usually spend it in the Caribbean, Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, or somewhere in the mountains in different parts of the world. I can give you several recommendations as far as far as the most amazing sunsets are concerned: Svaneti, Georgia; Cozumel, Mexico; Big Sur, California; Dubai, UAE. I don’t usually spend much time hanging out per se. I look for places that can give me inspiration and some kind of a spiritual charge.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to For Wellbeing, a non-profit organization providing medical and psychological support to families in Ukraine affected by war. (forwellbeing.org) I have been working with them since March 2022, donating portion of the proceeds from my concerts and also helping them raise money in other ways.

Website: ianmaksin.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ianmaksin

Facebook: facebook.com/cellomaxx

Youtube: youtube.com/ianmaksin

Other: iTunes: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/ian-maksin/268783791 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2OdXXipsrskFeePBpIdtc2

Image Credits
Live concert photos Anton Senko