For many people, music is a balm for the soul — but it can be life-changing for kids with autism.
Kana Kamitsubo-Markovic and Sasha Markovic, both music teachers, opened the Queens-based Hug Music in 2014. Hug Music offers a music therapy program called Musicreative that works specifically with kids on the autism spectrum.
Music therapy teaches various musical techniques to address the physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of an individual. As a subfield of music therapy, Musicreative works with both visual as well as auditory clues, creating an intellectual and emotional outlet by stimulating both hemispheres of the brain and working to improve the social relationships of people with autism.
Most music schools for children focus solely on the technical aspect of learning about music. While Kana’s Musicreative method is widely praised, Hug Music is still the only music therapy school in America to incorporate such techniques into their programs.
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