The fundamental philosophy of Forte is that when one artist succeeds in reaching people with their creative work, the community of artists, as a whole, benefits from that success. The democratic structure of the organization is built on that principle. We offer our artists freedom to create, and we are building a platform and a community to support that freedom.
Core Values
- Sustainability
- The foundation of the independent music world is held together by its artists, venues, teams, and agencies working together. The long-term health of that network is essential to the survival of the industry.
- Participation
- An active stake in supporting the organization’s fundamental purpose is essential for maintaining membership and collective momentum. In addition to being present and updating personal content, which will maintain the value for subscribers, each member needs to take responsibility for leveraging their audience and advertising the platform for the collective benefit of all involved.
- Authenticity & Autonomy
- In order to offer a legitimate window into the creative process of the real people behind the music, the Forte community is dedicated to maintaining supportive, respectful, and clear boundaries between all parties.
- The Forte organization is made up of a collective group of individuals, who represent themselves and their creative pursuits independently of the cooperative platform. Although connections and consultations facilitated through the platform may influence creative direction, there is no vested interest or control in member activities, excluding basic participation.
- Co-operation & Collaboration
- Each artist, through their membership and participation, occupies a space within the cooperative structure, maintains the direction and integrity of the collective through shared equal voting rights, and receives benefits through an equal process.
- The Forte community is designed for artists to interact, network, and share creativity and skills that enhance the work and reach of all involved.
- Equity
- American music reflects, in its theft of creative property, personal and professional abuse, and whitewashing of accomplishments and movements, the history of the country as a whole. All partners and members must be committed to addressing the structural mechanisms that have enabled that trajectory, as they currently exist within the industry.