Forest Hills Music School Adds Mother-Infant Class

Hug Music, a music school in Forest Hills, is adding a music class for expecting and new mothers and their infants. The music school is also offering lessons in a variety of foreign languages.

Expecting and new mothers can bond with their babies through music at Hug Music, a music school that offers private lessons, classes, and music therapy in Forest Hills.

The program, Music and Your Baby, is set to begin with trial classes this month. It focuses on the mother-infant bond in and outside the womb. The five-week program, taught by a certified music therapist, will allow mothers and their babies to mentally and physically relax through breathing exercises and song writing.

Kana Kamitsubo, co-owner and board-certified music therapist at Hug Music, says “mothers will learn how to effectively use music in their life to communicate with their children even when they are in the womb.”

Expectant mothers, new mothers, and newborn babies are invited to join. The class is for babies younger than 6 months.

Hug Music instructors also offer group classes for babies and toddlers; private lessons in guitar and piano; and provide music therapy to children and adults with special needs, specifically those with autism spectrum disorder.

“Our goal is to improve each student’s musical skills as well as vital life skills,” Kamitsubo says. “Our approach is success-oriented and thus focuses on improving each child’s self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-expression.”

In addition to classes being taught in English and Japanese, instructors will now offer lessons in Chinese, both Cantonese and Mandarin, and Spanish. Classes are offered Wednesday through Sunday.

Above photo: Hug Music now offers private lessons in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, English, and Japanese.