Forte, the premier contemporary a cappella group at Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, is the 2016 ICHSA national champion and a three-time national runner-up to the ICHSA championships in New York City.
The first-ever high school a cappella group to release a CD of all-original songs written by its members, Forte has to date recorded seven albums, including two all-originals: Life’s So Lyrical and Uncharted Heart. Life’s So Lyrical was nominated for five Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and won for Best Overall High School CD. Uncharted Heart, also nominated for five CARAs, won for Best High School Song. Uncharted Heart was also runner-up for Best High School Album and Best Pop/Rock Album after Grammy-winning group Pentatonix. In 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, the national compilation Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) albums featured Forte’s recordings, as did the prestigious Sing 9 and Sing 11 compilations.
Since the start of 2015, Forte has also opened for the national Sing-Off Tour in Cleveland, Ohio; recorded a music video with Grammy-winning artist Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix; and performed live with pop star Jojo on her national tour.
A number of other well-known artists have performed with Forte: Andy Grammer, Pentatonix, Arora (formerly Sonos), Delilah, Overboard, Voice Play, The Exchange, Eliot Sloan of Blessid Union of Souls, Street Corner Symphony, Eleventh Hour, and Deke Sharon (musical director of NBC’s The Sing-Off and the box office hit movies Pitch Perfect 1 and 2). In addition, Forte opened for the world-renowned a cappella group The House Jacks.
Forte’s music can be purchased on iTunes, Amazon Digital Music, and LOUDR.
“It’s almost unthinkable that a High School A Cappella group could be termed ‘pioneering’ and yet that’s exactly what Forte is.”– Deke Sharon, Music Producer of The Sing-Off, Pitch Perfect; Godfather of Contemporary A Cappella
“Ben Spalding has created an a cappella dynasty in Forte – a consistently high performing, inspiring, and viciously talented high school group who outsing most collegiate groups. I always feel confident sending my arrangements to Forte, knowing that they’ll be performed incredibly well.” —Ben Bram, Grammy winner, arranger: Pentatonix, Pitch Perfect, and The Sing-Off.