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

Hi Mikayla, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Recently I got involved with an organization that has brought my different skillsets together. The nonprofit horse rescue, “Because We Can, Because We Care”, has provided me with the opportunity to incorporate my music, video skills, and passion for horses all into one purpose. A few months ago, I brought a guitar up to the barn just to play around the horses for fun. I had no idea that one of the horses would be so interested in my music that he would start strumming the guitar himself. Since posting that video of us playing guitar, I have over 7 million views now, and have gained a new and unique fan base for both myself and the nonprofit.

Last year, I signed up for some riding classes at BWC2, and after a few lessons, I realized I wanted to be at the barn as much as possible, so I signed up to be a volunteer. Duties included taking horses out, feeding horses, cleaning stalls, and helping with student lessons. After about 6 months, I was asked to be on the board of directors for the nonprofit.

My main contribution to the team is creative online content. My day job is working in the film industry, and I have my degree in documentary studies, so I am always looking to create interested content and tell meaningful stories. I bring my camera to the barn to film short-form documentary style videos, and I film on my phone as well for the more fun and relatable social media content.

Certainly the most rewarding video has been the one of the horse Yupia playing guitar. ABC 7 news came out after that to interview us and help promote our charity. With the help of our community through donations and sponsorships, we provide free lessons for children with disabilities and American Veterans. It’s a very powerful service. The connection with a horse is so healing, and it has been amazing to witness the progress of some of the students who come by.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been playing music my whole life, but it makes me feel so much more valued if I can use my music to serve a greater good. Playing music for the horses and bringing joy to the students at the barn makes me feel like the power of music still exists. I’m not famous, I’m just cursed with a passion for creating music. So my most rewarding moments are when I bring joy to someone else’s life, whether they be a human or a horse.

Additionally, I have always been passionate about horses. Since the age of 9 I was taking lessons, going to pony camps, and collecting Breyer Horses. When I was in junior high, I started volunteering as a horse wrangler. So 2-3 times a week after school, my mom or grandpa would have to drive me to the local stable where I would take out “Polly”, the horse that belonged to our school secretary. I would take out Polly until she passed away. That was the first horse I really got close to.

When I moved to Arizona for college, I really started pursuing my career in music, playing in different bands every weekend, recording an album, and touring throughout the state. I also met a cowboy who invited me to ride down in Sedona, whenever I wanted. That was a freedom I know I will never have again. I was 19 years old galloping along the red rocks in Arizona, chasing the sunset. It was the most amazing time of my life.

When I moved back to Los Angeles, I was craving that feeling, so I wanted to volunteer with horses again. The same women who trusted me with her horse “Polly” said her daughter’s horse would love to extra attention, so I started working with “Blue”. He was an ex-jumper thoroughbred. I was afraid of him back when I was taking care of “Polly”. But by now, he was 35 years old, wise, and gentle. We spent wonderful afternoons and evenings together walking around the barn. When he passed away, it was an overwhelming sadness not only for me, but for his family, as they were out of town and out of reception at the time.

3 years went by before I was ready to do it again. And then, it was like a call from the universe woke me up. I decided to go to Africa on an 8-day horse safari adventure. But I had been out of riding shape for 3 years. That’s when I found Dave at BWC2 and told him I was looking for some lessons to get me ready for Africa. It must have sounded so bizarre at the time, but Dave said he could do it, and I believed him, and he was right. I went to Africa, my first time traveling alone in my whole life, and I didn’t fall off a horse or get eaten by a lion. So it was a win-win situation.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This year has particularly shaped my experience with horses. I love working with the horses at BWC2, and I feel like I am getting my freedom back as a rider. The most important part is building a relationship with the horses. Last year was a really hard year for me. I felt like I had lost myself and my vision for my future. I didn’t know what I was doing and I wasn’t passionate anymore. I needed to change something. And that something came about through horses.

My call to adventure was my trip to South Africa. What ultimately caught my attention was that the trip was going to take place in the Limpopo region of SA, which is the place that my dad’s band was named after. He was in a Russian folk-n-roll band called Limpopo that came to American in the 90s. They gained a lot of attention at the time, winning international star search and being featured on a national commercial campaign for Kit-Kat.

When I saw the trip was to Limpopo, my heart sank. It felt like my dad was sending me a message. That year was also the 10 year anniversary of his passing, so it felt like he was telling me to go on this trip, and really learn about Limpopo. My only challenge was that I hadn’t been on a horse in a while, and I had never traveled alone, or been to any country in Africa before. So it was a huge adventure I was about to take on, but I knew it was my destiny.

After my trip, I felt like I could do anything. I had camped out on the safari in South Africa, and on the dry delta in Botswana. What adventure could I brave next?

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

With the nonprofit, our main source of support comes from our community. With our recent viral video on Instagram, we have gained a new online presence that is giving us a boost of support as well. If more people would connected with us online, we could continue to grow our following. Ultimately what we are looking for is some more funding to help us provide free lessons to children with disabilities and American veterans. With every like, comment, and share, our message is getting spread. It only takes a second to show your support for an artist or creator or charity. It’s so easy with social media to engage with people, wherever you are in the world. So I think it is important to like, comment, and share something you see online that moves you.

Our “horse playing guitar” video gained us 5,000 new followers who are now witnessing all the great things that our nonprofit does. The one video made our horse Yupia a star, but there are 8 other horses at the barn that all do wonderful things, and have their own stories to tell too.

I feel a sense of responsibility for telling the story of each horse, of our volunteers, and of the students that come ride with us. BWC2 is a great place to earn the trust, respect, and confidence of an animal. The horses have come from all different parts of the country and were either rescued or donated. They each have faced their own sets of challenged to get where they are today.

It has been amazing to see the impact of music on some of the horses, as they really seem engaged with the tones and vibrations from different instruments. We have brought a harp, guitar, drums, bass, and keyboard to the barn, and Yupia loves them all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bwc2.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bwc2
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BWC2org/

Image Credits

Mikayla Khramov, Paige Lebaron, Madeline Modarski, Dave Drulias, Mpoh