ALONE

Space walk

Midwest Royal -You Surround Me_MASTER


I volunteer to pick up food for elderly women no longer able too and like many stand in line waiting my turn.  On one such a visit it began to rain -- and I love rain, storms, thunder and typhoons.  Standing there for 2 hours - the rain, the thunder - life is amazing!, sin't it?

I also, as time permits, produce songs for select community centers, churches and non-profits (NGO). 

If you wish to volunteer in the Toronto area with the Oasis Dufferin Community Centre or give them a small donation their website is:
https://www.oasisdufferin.org

Hear the Rain - EN

Rising

Midwest Royal is the brainchild of song writer and musician Jonathan Rodebaugh. Through this outlet he brings his songs to life utilizing a collective of his favorite musicians, producers, and engineers. Jonathan believes that for songs to be their best, it takes a village. Midwest Royal is that village.

Rainforest Cowboy

So you want to know more about the mysterious (and yes, still handsome 😏) Rainforest Cowboy, eh?

I come from a classical and technical background that somehow found its way back into music — but not in the usual way.

In school, I studied music for four years, playing in both orchestra and band. My main instrument was the tuba — the low foundation that carries rhythm and weight — under a traditional German composer and conductor. I also played early keyboards and organs, experimenting with MIDI back when an Atari ST was cutting-edge. Around that time, I fell in love with orchestral works, early New Age and experimental music, and the idea that languages themselves are musical instruments. That curiosity never left me.

Life pulled me away from music for many years. I worked, took care of my father through illness, and eventually built a career far from the arts. But creativity has a way of waiting patiently.

A few weeks ago, through volunteering — including helping pick up food for elderly women — I saw how hard people work quietly, without recognition. I wrote a song simply to say thank you. Friends encouraged me to share it publicly. I barely knew what SoundCloud was at the time.

And then something unexpected happened.

What I’m Doing Here

This project isn’t just about individual songs. It’s about stories, worlds, and connections.

I work in arcs:

- musical storylines that unfold across multiple tracks
- recurring characters (sometimes human, sometimes instruments with personalities)
- themes that evolve rather than repeat

I blend:

- East–West instrument fusions (Erhu, Koto, Taiko, Shakuhachi, Cello, Bass-Cello, Electric Guitar, Toy Drum, and more)
- multiple languages as emotional textures, not novelties
- sound-design and cinematic SFX (intros, outros, environmental layers) to place the listener inside the story

Some tracks are song-only.
Some include SFX.
Some have extended, almost audio-novel openings — like short documentaries or film scenes — while still remaining music.

This scale and continuity is rare on SoundCloud, and I’m intentionally exploring it.

Process (Short Version)

Research first — sometimes days or weeks, especially for cultural or historical pieces

Story before sound — lyrics are poetry; the song dresses the story, not the other way around

Tech as craft — I treat music creation almost like programming: key, tempo, instrumentation, language, emotional arc

AI as collaborator — not a tool, not a shortcut, but a specialist partner

Final polish — custom 4K–8K cover art, organization, HD/lossless upgrades, and SFX where it serves the story

I’ve worked with computers since the Apple ][ in 1977, later leading large-scale tech systems as a CIO. Merging narrative, music theory, and AI feels natural — like coming home.

Why I’m Here

I’m not chasing trends or numbers in a commercial sense — this is a hobby driven by curiosity, craft, and storytelling.

That said, I’m deeply grateful for every like, share, comment, and follow.

Those signals matter to me, not as validation, but as conversation. They tell me what resonates, what moved you, and what you’d like to hear more of. Many of the SFX and extended versions exist because listeners showed love for the original tracks — your engagement quietly guides where the stories go next.

So while this isn’t about profit or algorithms, your feedback genuinely helps shape the journey. Thank you for listening closely and responding — it means more than you know.

This is a hobby fueled by curiosity, respect for culture, and love of storytelling. The response so far has been humbling, and I take it seriously.

If you have:

- a story
- a place
- a culture
- a memory
- a charity
- a love, a loss, or a hope

…reach out.

If it resonates, the Rainforest Cowboy just might turn it into a song.

New tracks tagged #realxed