The FULL VOICE Podcast With Nikki Loney

Five teaching artists, 250 students, and no front desk. How does Caitlin Duckworth do it? Caitlin, contemporary singing specialist and founder of Houston Voice Studio, walks Nikki through the systems and automations that let her and her manager run a multi-teacher studio as a team of two, and why ethical employment sits at the centre of it all. Timestamps 2:33 From classical training to contemporary singing 13:52 Opening Houston Voice Studio 23:38 Hiring her first admin 27:19 One application form that runs onboarding 32:41 The reschedule form, coupon codes, and Slack alerts 39:02 Why her teachers are W2 employees, not contractors 42:29 Benefits, birthdays off, and paying through a power outage 51:37 Google Voice and keeping personal numbers private 54:11 Paid time for email, no work outside paid hours 56:10 Paid prep time, absences, and the full tool stack 1:09:12 Slack for teachers and Zapier as the glue 1:14:27 First steps: built-in integrations and Gmail filters About Caitlin Duckworth Founder, Houston Voice Studio | Contemporary Singing Specialist Caitlin Duckworth is a Contemporary Commercial Music specialist and founder of Houston Voice Studio, a Houston-based training program for pop and musical theater singers. Teaching is her first love, but much of her current focus is building an ethical employment model for teaching artists, systems that let her team focus on their singers, and wider access to the arts in her community. houstonvoicestudio.com Full show notes, reflective questions, and transcript: [episode 220 page link] The FULL VOICE Podcast is for voice teachers who want practical ideas for their teaching and their studio business. Visit our website: www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/220

219 | The Best Exercise is… ⭐ Find links mentioned in this episode here: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/219/ Voice teachers are always asking "What is the best vocal exercise for..." In this episode, we dig into what vocal exercises actually are, and what they aren't, and how they fit into effective vocal pedagogy for young singers. We also talk about improving our instructional language, because the way we cue an exercise can matter as much as the exercise itself, and better language means a stronger teacher-student connection in your private voice studio. Then we walk through one straightforward vocal exercise with ten variations, giving you a practical warm-up toolkit to help your students explore their voice, build musicianship, and grow their musical literacy, all in a single lesson. ⭐ About our guest: Nikki Loney is the boss of it all at FULL VOICE Music. She spends her days working alongside music educators, voice experts, children's composers, and her incredible team, all in the name of helping young singers find their voice (and have a little fun doing it). Do you love working with young singers? If you're not there yet, you're in the right place. ⭐ Discover more great topics: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcasts ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullvoicemusic ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullvoice/ Hosted by Nikki Loney. Edited and theme music by Shawn Trotter. Released August 28, 2026. Offers, discounts, and promotions mentioned in this episode may be time-sensitive and no longer available at the time of listening. Apple verification: 868564

218 | Repertoire Negotiations (Live Office Hours) ⭐ Find links mentioned in this episode here: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/218/ This episode is a recording from our FULL VOICE Music Live Office Hours (Free Teacher Webinars) where we tackled one of the biggest pain points teachers bring to us: finding great repertoire for young singers. We dug into two tricky situations: singers who genuinely don't know what they like, and singers who know exactly what they don't like when it comes to the songs you pick. Both come with their own challenges, and we shared teaching strategies to help you navigate them and win the repertoire negotiations. If you've ever struggled to find songs that click with your students, this conversation is for you. ⭐ FULL VOICE Live Office Hours are our chance to dig into the real, practical questions voice teachers are wrestling with, no scripted lecture, just an honest working conversation. Missed the live session? You can catch the replay anytime on our YouTube channel. ⭐ Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about our Live Office Hours Webinars: https://fullvoicemusic.com/shop/teacher-training/live-office-hours/ Sign up for our Teaching Young Voices Newsletter: https://fullvoicemusic.com/newsletter/ ⭐ About our guest: Nikki Loney has been in repertoire negotiations for over 30 years, first as a private voice teacher and now as a teacher trainer and publisher helping other voice professionals navigate the same tug-of-war. If anyone's earned some hard-won strategies for picking songs young singers will actually love, it's her. Website: https://fullvoicemusic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullvoice/ ⭐ Discover more great topics: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcasts/ ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullvoicemusic ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullvoice/ Hosted by Nikki Loney. Edited and theme music by Shawn Trotter. Released July 31, 2026. Offers, discounts, and promotions mentioned in this episode may be time-sensitive and no longer available at the time of listening.

217 | When Students Leave Your Music Studio ⭐ Find links mentioned in this episode here: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/217/ In this episode of the FULL VOICE Podcast, Nikki Loney explores the good, the not-so-good, and the ugly side of students leaving your studio. From graduating seniors and heartfelt goodbyes to ghosting families and awkward exits, this honest conversation reminds teachers that student departures are a normal part of studio life. Perfect for voice teachers, music educators, and private studio owners, this episode reminds us to hold fast to our studio policies, navigate difficult communication professionally, never burn bridges with students or families, and recognize that some students unexpectedly find their way back years later. 🔹 2:40 - Music studios and student retention 🔹 3:15 - "The Good": the healthy student goodbyes 🔹 5:25 - Families are part of the music studio community 🔹 6:28 - "Not-so-good" student departures 🔹 11:24 - Leaving the door open 🔹 18:45 - Live Office Hours #18: Summer Studio Strategies 🔹 20:10 - "The Ugly": families who ghost you 🔹 25:54 - Live Office Hours: register for the free webinar 🔹 27:00 - Upcoming Summer Workshop Series — — — — — ⭐ Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for FULL VOICE Music Live Office Hours here: https://fullvoicemusic.com/newsletter/ Register for Live Teacher workshops here: https://fullvoicemusic.com/shop/teacher-training/workshops/ Listen to Baby Girl here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkdnRdgQZHNghIFrNneczBQ FULL VOICE Podcasts about onboarding: https://fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/166-onboarding-new-students/ https://fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/167-onboarding-new-students-part-2/ How to Run Your Business without Hating Your Boss podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1znZiSyyEjNMWPevetQPVs — — — — — ⭐ About our guest: Nikki Loney is the "Boss-of-it-all" at FULL VOICE Music. With 36 years of experience in private voice teaching, she understands the ebb and flow of student retention. Inspired by the youngest students in her private voice studio, Nikki challenges teachers to redefine what singing lessons look like for young voices. She works with music education specialists, children's composers, and voice experts to create music education resources for professional voice teachers. — — — — — ⭐ Discover more great topics: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcasts/ ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullvoicemusic ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullvoice/ Hosted by Nikki Loney. Edited and theme music by Shawn Trotter. Released May 29, 2026. Offers, discounts, and promotions mentioned in this episode may be time-sensitive and no longer available at the time of listening.

216 | The Voice Teacher's Role in Vocal Health Challenges, with Dr. Heather Nelson ⭐ Full show notes, links, and timestamps: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcast/216/ What can a voice teacher actually say when a student has a vocal health concern, and where's the line before it becomes medical advice? In this episode, vocologist Dr. Heather Nelson unpacks the ethics of diagnosing vocal health issues, and how a genuine desire to help can sometimes lead teachers beyond their scope. She brings clarity to what you can and cannot say, and how to support singers with care and professionalism, including how to work with students who are waiting for a diagnosis or choose not to seek one at all. 🔹 2:20 - About Dr. Heather Nelson 🔹 3:40 - A "typical" week in the life of a vocologist 🔹 7:40 - Educational paths for vocology 🔹 13:00 - Understanding "scope of practice" boundaries 🔹 17:00 - Changing voices and vocal health 🔹 20:30 - Looking for patterns in the singing voice 🔹 24:35 - Finding the right specialist for a voice issue 🔹 37:15 - How to work with students awaiting a medical diagnosis 🔹 44:43 - How anxiety and depression affect vocal health 🔹 51:04 - Building a support team around vocal health 🔹 54:20 - Heather's Vocal Pedagogy Parties ⭐ Mentioned in this episode: FULL VOICE Music Live Teacher Trainings: https://fullvoicemusic.com/shop/teacher-training/workshops/ Vocal Pedagogy Parties with Dr. Heather Nelson: https://www.drheathernelson.com/contact ⭐ About our guest: Dr. Heather Nelson is a vocologist who translates the science of the voice into practical strategies for independent voice teachers and choir directors. She works with singers who have vocal injuries, tough vocal changes, and other "wonky voice" problems that won't go away. Fun, optimism, and curiosity drive her work, and puns are her love language. Website: https://www.drheathernelson.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drheathernelson/ ⭐ More episodes: https://www.fullvoicemusic.com/podcasts/ ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullvoicemusic ⭐ FULL VOICE Music on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefullvoice/ Hosted by Nikki Loney. Edited and theme music by Shawn Trotter. Released April 24, 2026. Offers, discounts, and promotions mentioned in this episode may be time-sensitive and no longer available at the time of listening.