Meet Ian Maksin

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ian Maksin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ian , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

Generosity is part of a universal cycle: Abundance-Gratitude-Generosity-Abundance. The more you give the more you receive. The more grateful you feel for the abundance in your life, the more of an urge you get to share. This is one of the laws of the Universe that should be taught at school alongside with Newtonian physics. The key is the realization that you can have just as much gratification and rush of positive emotions when you give as when you receive. It takes some practice I guess. And I do believe that Gratitude is the cornerstone in this cycle. When you are filled with gratitude you simply have an urge to share. When you feel gratitude, you cannot feel lack, disappointment or resentment. It’s the best antidepressant of all.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I play cello and I sing songs in 42 languages at the current moment. I write my own music for cello, augmented by the use of electronics, creating an entire virtual orchestra in real time in a concert setting. And most of the songs in my collection are folk songs from different corners of the world. I do believe that sounds of cello carry special powers, can help us heal both physically and spiritually by delivering deep vibrations. I feel music is a universal language that connects people and can help us find peace and love inside our hearts and souls.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Obviously, first and foremost is the skill. I have been playing my instrument since I was 6 years old, and I have put in not 10.000 not 20,000 but significantly more time into developing my abilities as far as playing cello is concerned and as far as other areas of knowledge: music theory, music history, harmony, composition, etc…

After I decided to break away from the mainstream musical industry and became an independent artist, I had to learn how to do my own marketing. It was pretty much like getting another profession. I studied enormously in order to learn everything I needed to know about how to promote my music and my brend, from copywriting to creating my own publicity, running target ads and more.

And lastly, practicing meditation has had the most profound impact on my personal journey and ultimately on my development as a musical artist. It has given me the opportunity to acquire and channel tremendous amount of energy through music and share it with the audience. It has also given me the empowerment and strength to withstand very challenging touring schedules and always be in my best physical and mental form

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

I am constantly working on personal growth in many areas: professional, spiritual, intellectual, physical. This year, which marked a new decade of my life, has been full of achievements: I have trekked Mardi Himal in Nepal up to 15.000 feet. I have got back into flying planes after a nearly 20 year hiatus and now I am in process of getting my Instrument and Commercial ratings. Although I am not planning to fly professionally, I want to become as good, as safe and proficient a pilot as I can be. Professionally,

I have performed over 150 concerts this year on four continents and have gone to India with a musical/humanitarian mission having performed for hundreds of underprivileged kids. And most importantly, I have just finished recording a new album: “Lullaby for the World”. It’s a collection of my original instrumental music as well as 10 songs in 10 different languages: Ukrainian, Farsi, Bosnian, Finnish, Ladino, French, Kyrgyz, Armenian, Japanese, and Hindi. I do believe music is incredibly powerful and can help us heal and find peace, compassion and love inside ourselves and share it with the world around us. I do believe that in these turbulent times our world needs a “lullaby” of love. The album comes out on November 13 and can be streamed and downloaded on all platforms. I am also releasing several very beautiful music videos to go along with the album, and starting a big North American concert tour. It will open in Chicago, New York, Boston and several other cities on the East Coast in December, will continue in Florida in January, on the West Coast in February, and through the rest of the USA and Canada in the spring of 2026! I’m very excited to deliver this album and its message of peace to the world.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Cover photo: OLGA BARKOVSKA
Concert photos: OLGA MATURANA
India: courtesy RETURNING TO LOVE FOUNDATION
Mountains: Selfies

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