About Music Duo Academy
A Complete Homeschool Music Curriculum for Elementary Students
Music Duo Academy gives homeschool families a complete, sequential music curriculum for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Through engaging, video-guided lessons, students sing, move, play instruments, read and write music, listen, and create while building real musical skills step by step.
Created by an experienced elementary music teacher, Music Duo Academy brings the structure of a classroom music program into your home without requiring parents to have a music background or teach the lessons themselves.
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Try a Free Folk Song Sing-Along with Miss Linda
Get a feel for Music Duo Academy with a free collection of 15 traditional folk songs. Your child can sing along with Miss Linda using printable lyrics, singing tips, and a video created especially for young learners. It is a fun way to experience the kind of singing, listening, and active participation that are part of Music Duo Academy lessons.
Meet Miss Linda McCarty
Linda McCarty, known to students as Miss Linda or Ms. Linda, is the co-founder, curriculum creator, and teacher behind Music Duo Academy. Some former students and families may also know her as Linda Davis. She spent more than 25 years teaching elementary music and now brings that classroom experience to homeschool families through Music Duo Academy.
Linda’s approach grew from years of teaching real children in real classrooms. Her Kodály and Orff training helped her build a carefully sequenced curriculum where students develop musical skills through singing, movement, rhythm, instruments, music reading, listening, and creativity.
Music Duo Academy combines Linda’s curriculum and teaching with the technology created by her husband and co-founder, Kyle McCarty. Together, they built an online elementary music program that lets children learn step by step while parents can leave the teaching to Miss Linda.
For families who want a meaningful music education at home, Music Duo Academy provides the structure, sequence, and instruction of an elementary music program without requiring parents to plan lessons or have a music background. Children can learn at their own pace while still following a clear path from one musical skill to the next.
Miss Linda’s Education and Training
- B.S. in Music Education – University of Idaho
- M.M. in Music Education (Orff Schulwerk) – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Kodály Certification – Plano Kodály Teacher Training at SMU (endorsed by OAKE)
- World Music Drumming – Levels I & II
Our Teaching Approach: Kodály and Orff
Music Duo Academy combines principles from two respected approaches to elementary music education, the Kodály Concept and Orff Schulwerk. Both encourage children to learn music actively through singing, movement, listening, instruments, and musical exploration.
The Orff Schulwerk Approach
Orff Schulwerk encourages children to experience music before focusing on musical concepts. Students learn through singing, movement, speech, rhythm, improvisation, and instruments. This hands-on approach helps children explore music creatively while building important musical skills.
The Kodály Concept
The Kodály Concept places singing at the heart of music learning and uses a carefully sequenced approach to develop musical understanding. Children build skills through folk songs, rhythm, solfege, listening, movement, and music reading, with each new concept building on what they have already learned.
Miss Linda is Kodály certified and earned her master’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Orff Schulwerk. She brings elements of both approaches together throughout the Music Duo Academy curriculum, giving children an active, sequential way to learn and understand music.
Miss Linda is Kodály certified and earned her master’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Orff Schulwerk. She brings elements of both approaches together throughout the Music Duo Academy curriculum, giving children an active, sequential way to learn and understand music.
How Children Learn in Music Duo Academy
Learning Through Folk Songs
Traditional folk songs are an important part of Music Duo Academy. Songs are carefully chosen to help children develop musical concepts such as rhythm, melody, steady beat, form, and expression while building a strong connection to singing and music.
Building the Singing Voice
Singing is at the heart of many Music Duo Academy lessons. Children often sing without instrumental accompaniment so they can hear their own voices, develop pitch awareness, strengthen listening skills, and become more confident singers.
Learning Music Through Movement
Children experience music with their whole bodies through creative movement, steady beat activities, singing games, scarves, and other movement experiences. Movement helps children feel rhythm, form, tempo, and musical expression in an active and engaging way.
Playing Classroom Instruments
Percussion instruments give children a hands-on way to explore rhythm, steady beat, dynamics, and ensemble playing. Music Duo Academy includes age-appropriate instrument activities that help students listen carefully, play together, and apply the musical skills they are learning.
Creating and Improvising Music
Children have opportunities to create their own rhythms, melodies, movements, and verses. Improvisation encourages creativity and helps students use the musical skills they are learning in new and personal ways.
Learning Through Music Games
Music games give children a fun reason to sing, listen, move, and repeat important musical skills again and again. Because students are focused on playing the game, repetition feels natural while they strengthen rhythm, melody, listening, and musical memory.
Ready to Bring Music Education Home?
Give your child a complete, step-by-step music education with Music Duo Academy. Miss Linda teaches the lessons, so you can support your child’s learning without having to teach music yourself.
What Families Are Saying About Music Duo Academy
Hear from families using Music Duo Academy and see how children are learning, participating, and making music at home.
More From Music Duo Academy Families
Parents share how Music Duo Academy is helping their children learn music, stay engaged, and build musical skills at home.
Music Duo videos are engaging, enriching and musically stimulating journey that both of my daughters can’t seem to get enough of. Ms. Davis is incredibly knowledgeable and her passion about music and teaching children shines through each and every video. My girls have grown quite attached to seeing Ms. Davis in the videos. Her warm, friendly and enthusiastic demeanor makes it feel as though she’s speaking directly to your children and no one else. (I swear she’s magic!)
I highly recommend Music Duo!
Monique F.
Parent
I just wanted to share with you how AWESOME you are!! Due to COVID-19, my 2nd grade daughter is being homeschooled (in New Jersey) by yours truly LOL We stumbled upon your YouTube channel and WOW! THANK YOU for giving us another resource to expand her learning! You are so fun to listen to/watch/sing with/learn from, you have an amazing voice, and you have already shared such lovely lessons! We cannot thank you enough for providing this content.
Alyssa Z.
Parent
Ms. Davis, I am homeschooling my son in Japan and we LOVE you and your happy upbeat ways with song bouquets and great music lessons with movement! Thank you for sharing your awesome talent. Now he wants to play the xylophone - your Halloween classes were perfect.
Jule P.
Parent
Ms. Davis' passion for teaching music comes through each video. I mean, you can see how she really puts in every aspect of music in her videos. She’s showing the hand signs, the notes, and she shows the kids where they belong. We do lessons to make sure that they understand how the notes are supposed to be on the staff. I really enjoyed how THEY enjoyed music. I had never seen it like that before.
Glenda R.
Substitute Teacher
We looked for a program like this for over a year. My son loves having class with Ms. Davis and he has learned so much!
Mandy J.
Parent
As a music teacher of 23 years, MusicDuo is a comprehensive end to end music education program. Whether you have child who needs enrichment programs to their existing music education or as a standalone music education curriculum this program fits the bill. This program is fun, interactive, engaging and creative. I highly recommend this program.
Alex K.
Music Specialist
I am a retired music teacher in Farmington Hills, MI that is Orff certified. When I was teaching, I used Orff and Kodaly techniques with my students. This program uses many of the same techniques that I used when I was teaching, Kodaly hand signs, movement, etc. This is an excellent program and presentation and I highly recommend it!
Judy M.
Retired Music Teacher
My daughter has learned so much with you this year! She has been writing her own music! Exited about Maestro 1.