She sings jazz standards and composes original works on piano, kamalen n'goni, balafon, and percussion.

Heather produces and hosts the radio and TV program Music Time in Africa for the Voice of America.

[1] Maxwell was born Flint, Michigan and began singing at age 7 with her family's gospel band.

She also toured and recorded with jazz drummer Robert Jospé and with her own group Afrika Soul In 2011 Maxwell returned to Mali as a Fulbright Scholar for a teaching stint in Bamako at the National Conservatory of Music.

Later that year Heather joined the Voice of America in Washington, D.C. as host and producer of the worldwide radio program Music Time in Africa.