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Joined: Sep 2003
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My family came together, Irish and Scots, north of Toronto to the east of Lake Simcoe. Now a mere 4 hour drive from where we lived all our lives, it was the area Mom and Dad lived, the relatives all farmers, their parents the first if the few who had left. My grandfathers were soldiers to me. Despite the fact that Dad's was WW1 he worked at a munitions factory until well after WW2, and my Mom's grandfather was a corporal/baker in an artillery unit on the east Coast of England near London for the duration. My Dad's brother was in the RCAF for a full tour, then with the RAF as a commissioned officer for the duration. The early years from the start to 56 or so seemed to me like the war was everywhere.
All our relatives of any consequence had farms. We spent the summers shipped off, and getting together. My father and brother lost their mother to cancer when they were under 5 and my grandfather never married. He painted railway bridges, then started a decorating business. The family method of caring for kids was to lend them. At 5, off goes Johnny to work on uncle Ned's farm. Work at 5, right. But Dad and the rest came up for 2 weeks of camping. The east field was cleared of sheep, there were picknick tables, and ww2 surplus tents. More leeches in that lake than weeds. Grandfather burned them off 3 shivering white/blue skinny boys with his cigarette, and we laughed if he found one up in "never never land" and had to be careful. If you missed one it turned huge and dark, parked against some part you wanted no one to touch."
Up at 4:30. Pump up a coal oil lantern. Bacon and eggs, cold milk, all skin and bones, John David, Thomas Mark, and Philip James. Prayers for the fishing. Dad hauled out his rod and reel, and the 3 of us had 12 foot long bamboo poles Dad had spent hours on, got them at the Rug Store where they came from the Far East around some rug and the owner gave them to Dad for a quarter each. He put black line around them, a leader, and a hook. We had worms he picked with us the night before. Shivering, that I remember. Treck over to the creek, climb the fence. We were supposed to be quiet, don't scare the fish. I'm 7 my youngest brother 4. Shhh...giggle.
As soon as it was light I'd make decision to scare up a frog. You'd hook that through the snout and catch a nice bass for breakfast, or wander up the creek without you moron brother mad at the 'squitos. Bull Frogs the size of dinner plates, fun to catch, but we didn't eat frog legs at the time...LOL. Finally a frog, try and get it and the torch (flashlight) back to Dad. The light would come up and we'd have 4 or 5 keepers and we'd go back, Uncle Ned had a cleaning table by the water. Mom and one of the girls up, the other still in her belly, the 5 of us waiting in the dewy July morning for Uncle Ned. Fresh warm milk from the separator. A quart of cream. Fresh hot bread, just made. We'd have more toast by the fire. Eating breaded smallmouth, eggs, drinking warm milk, the sun slowly getting us warmed up for a day of driving to other farms, other relatives, new bees nests, a day old calf at Uncle Dan's or a litter of pigs at Uncle Angus's. Food and huge gardens. Haylofts and sunlight on the bales, jumping where we shouldn't. Scraped knees. Old great aunts in rockers peeling potatoes, Uncle Angus smoking a pipe, hat on in the house over a whisp of hair, checked shirt, old cane chair with captain's arms, reading the farmer's news. He was a former member of parliament, a big shot amongst farmers, you'd have never know it. Few words. He only took the pipe out to eat or spit, or go to church. Suspenders over bony shoulders, could fix any machine in an hour Dad said. Spoke Gaelic to his wife. He died at 90, no pipe for the last year, the lip cancer got him, way too young my Grandad said. Men in Islay used to always go over 100. Hm..or drowned or starved I think..however. Uncle Angus would start a hymn, pull out the pipe while lighting it, the women folk and my parents would start it up, and he'd stop, stick the pipe in his mouth and listen. Potatoes for every meal, along with gravy. Never heard the words hard times. Some stuff grew, others didn't. The green beans by the house were no good this year, black spots, but Uncle Dan has bushels, they shared.
I was explaining the logistics of Dad making the fishing poles. Now I can see him out the back of the house, on a couple of saw horses. We got the first car in 54, before that we piled in my Grandparent's car, 7 of us. That was a 51 Dodge. I remember going to get the bamboo canes, they went into the trunk. Given that the trunk was under 5 feet long, those 12 foot fishing rods were really about 3 feet long. I discussed this with the TV turned off as my youngest brother was here the other night. The hockey game was between periods, I muted it. We agreed, the 12 foot pole was due to being less than 3 feet tall or whatever. We also wondered why we never did that stuff with our kids. Are they lost?
As we left the farm they sang "Abide with me". Mom sang alto. My Dad tried to carry the tune in a washbin, a bucket wouldn't have fit.
It's funny cause Dad looks like Uncle Angus now. Never smoked. Never drank. He has a hymn book from the Baptist church, he's now 62 years as treasurer though my second brother does most of the work, Dad goes every Monday to count the cash and do the bank deposit. 83 years old. He gets out the hymn book and stares at the words, and starts to sing. On tune, in pitch, in time. He's stone deaf, must explain it.
The hard part is what to do with them next. Living alone, in a building run by the Sally Anne, a trendy condo complex with all the amenities, but they need housekeeping and Mom needs nursing. According to Mom I'm the rock, the real leader, the family cornerstone, and religion didn't teach the other 4 kids how to be caring children, they live only for themselves. Odd that. Mom's lost it mostly, say the word weather, and she's singing stormy weather with 'other words about no button on his fly he's got a zipper, cause my man and I think it's quicker"...then she slaps herself. Bad woman! Then you say something else, and it's "That's the story of that's the glory of LLLOOOOVEEEE", you can hear her down the all. My father grins, the hearing aids are out. Wow.
Now maybe I can sleep?
I think of those army cots, the old tents, the treck to the outhouse, the cobwebs, the cold dewy nights, and I'm comfy here in the hotel style double sized cotton white housecoat the wife got me for christmas. Must have been a premonition.
ZZZZZZZZ zz z z z z z. (I hope).
John Conley Musica est vita
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 German for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Paket | Was ist Neu
Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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