Rod Forte releases his new single 'Spirit of Yah'. Roderick “Rod” Forte was born into a long line of musical talent. He is the son of Rev. Ronald Forte, Sr. and Mrs. Alice Floyd. He was born and raised in a small country town called Higgins right outside of Little Rock, AR. As a child, he was introduced to old school choir, jazz, and quartet music and he fell in love with the different instrumental vibes and sounds. Rod’s curiosity led to him creating beats with cans, buckets, and anything that he could find to make a sound. He... Read MoreRod Forte releases his new single 'Spirit of Yah'. Roderick “Rod” Forte was born into a long line of musical talent. He is the son of Rev. Ronald Forte, Sr. and Mrs. Alice Floyd. He was born and raised in a small country town called Higgins right outside of Little Rock, AR. As a child, he was introduced to old school choir, jazz, and quartet music and he fell in love with the different instrumental vibes and sounds. Rod’s curiosity led to him creating beats with cans, buckets, and anything that he could find to make a sound. He later found his love for creating songs and melodies.
His mother, Alice Floyd, saw the vision and allowed him to explore his gifts and talents by playing and singing behind the family group, the Forte Family. The Forte Family, which consisted of his mother, sister, and two older brothers, groomed Rod as they all traveled around the regions of the Delta singing for the Lord. He was trained as a pianist at the age of seven, and by age 12, he was playing the organ and had also realized his gift of playing music by ear. He first stepped into a recording studio at the age of 14, and never looked back. Tackling piano and vocals was only the beginning, but it came natural. Rod found comfort and destiny in producing Quartet artists such as Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Lee Williams, The Racy Brothers and more. He further developed his musical ideas with years of experience playing with bands and various performance groups/artists such as Spencer Taylor & The Highway QC’s. Creativity and enthusiasm creeps into the work ethic of every project Rod produces, which is the foundation of his resume and consistency.
Rod has dominated the Southeast Region for the past 11 years and has worked with established producers such as the late Gerald Thompson, Kip Blackshire, and Mali Music. Rod has been praised for his sequential harmonic progressions he produces within the music, as well as his ability to embrace the heritage and soulful expressions of traditional Black Gospel music styles and forms, particularly Quartet or what Jerry Peters refers to as “good ole down right, moving music.”
A Digidesign certified Protools/Eve Operator and detail-obsessed engineer, Rod launched 4-ta Rock Studios in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2020. He uses his experience on the other side of the glass as a recording artist and multi-instrumentalist to help demystify the recording process for artists, as well as to create an environment for the clear and effective communication of musical and technical concepts in the studio. As an engineer with much producing experience, Rod often works closely with artists to help them further develop and refine their material, working on song structures and arrangements through vocals and sounds, and enhancing their performances in order to reach the next level of their musical potential.
Rod has reached a point in his career where he recognizes the new level to success is to remain humble and always keep God first. After witnessing what was going on in the world, he decided to drop his first single, We Need You Now in 2020, to help bring peace in the midst of the racial turmoil, the global pandemic plaguing the world, and catastrophic numbers like never seen before in his lifetime. This record intended to bring healing in knowing that there is a source of hope. Rod will release his 3rd single, This Is It, debuting the Spirit of Yah as the introduction to this masterpiece, dropping in the Summer of 2021.
Although Rod Forte has many talents, he understands that with Yah, all things are possible. He takes his experiences and finds artistry in music. His artistry vibrates not only through his music, but also through the love of his family. His song ,Spirit of Yah, celebrates the accomplishments of the gifts that Yah has placed upon his life. So, This Is It, the story of a young man that came from a small country town, and took a leap of faith to step out on nothing, but he believed that the impossible can be possible with the Most High.
