To Forte and Beyond

To Forte and Beyond: A Podcast for the Curious, the Passionate, and the Fearlessly Musical

Welcome to To Forte and Beyond, a podcast for anyone who has ever stood in the wings before a performance, sat breathless in the audience, or lingered over the final chord of a masterpiece wondering, “What just happened?” Hosted by conductor, organist, and arts leader Don Scott Carpenter, this podcast takes you on an unforgettable journey through the many dimensions of music, performance, creativity, and community.

“To forte” — an Italian musical term meaning “to go strongly, to go loudly, to go boldly.” “And beyond” — the invitation to explore what lies past the limits of genre, expectation, and tradition. Whether you’re a seasoned musician, a lifelong concertgoer, or simply someone who feels the pull of a powerful melody, this podcast is your backstage pass to the stories and insights that rarely make it into the program notes.

Each episode is a tapestry woven from personal anecdotes, in-depth interviews, historical context, and reflections on music’s power to shape identity, provoke emotion, and build connection. With warmth, wit, and a deep reverence for the arts, Don guides listeners through conversations that illuminate the music we love — and the musicians who make it.

What You’ll Hear

To Forte and Beyond brings you into conversation with a vibrant cast of characters from the world of music and beyond: composers, performers, educators, audience members, administrators, critics, and culture-makers. Through candid, often surprising dialogue, they share their passions, their process, and the paths that brought them to the stage — or away from it.

You’ll hear:

• Inspiring interviews with artists at every stage of their journey, from emerging voices to legendary talents.

• Stories behind the music — what it takes to rehearse, perform, and live a life centered around sound.

• Reflections on leadership in the arts, including how we build institutions that truly serve their communities.

• Moments of vulnerability and joy, when guests share the highs and lows of a creative life.

• Cultural commentary that asks how music intersects with politics, spirituality, social justice, and identity.

• Occasional dives into the sacred and the secular, where organ pipes meet gospel choirs and choral music encounters the cosmos.

Each episode is designed to meet listeners where they are — curious, hopeful, maybe overwhelmed — and leave them with a deeper sense of why music matters and how it moves us. Like a good performance, it offers catharsis, insight, and sometimes a laugh or two along the way.

Who Is This Podcast For?

To Forte and Beyond is for:

• Choir singers who want to understand the stories behind their scores.

• Conductors and composers looking for community and inspiration.

• Church musicians balancing tradition and innovation.

• Classical fans who want to hear from real people behind the podium and on the risers.

• Arts leaders searching for clarity in a time of change.

• Anyone who’s ever wept through a requiem or been startled by silence.

It’s also for those who believe that music is never just music — that every performance carries echoes of the world around it: joy and protest, grief and rebirth, memory and imagination.

About the Host

Don Scott Carpenter is a nationally recognized conductor, organist, and visionary arts leader based in San Francisco. Known for his work with ensembles like Lakeside Symphony & Chorus, Vox Humana SF, American Bach Soloists, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Don brings a rare blend of musical excellence and community insight to every conversation. Whether he’s directing a rehearsal or reflecting on the spiritual power of harmony, Don leads with authenticity, intellect, and heart.

In To Forte and Beyond, he combines decades of experience in the choral and classical world with a storyteller’s gift and a deep belief in the transformative power of the arts. His voice is both guide and companion — honest, encouraging, often humorous, and always curious.

Why “To Forte and Beyond”?

The name is both a musical pun and a mission statement.

"Forte" isn't just about volume — it's about intention. It’s about playing with strength, with clarity, with everything you’ve got. But what happens when you go beyond that? What’s past the notes, the form, the technique? What’s beyond the page, beyond the podium, beyond the performance?

That’s where this podcast lives. At the edges of what we can explain — and the heart of what we feel.

More Than a Podcast

To Forte and Beyond is more than audio. It’s a community of listeners who believe that art is for everyone and that great conversations — like great music — are meant to be shared.

Listeners are invited to engage with bonus content, extended interviews, curated playlists, and occasional live episodes or workshops. Future seasons will also include audience Q&As, listener-submitted questions, and thematic arcs exploring specific topics in depth.

Subscribe, Share, and Join the Journey

New episodes drop on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Subscribe today and become part of a movement that believes in bold voices, big feelings, and the music that carries us forward.

To Forte and Beyond — listen loud. Dream bigger.