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Update: Arlene is getting some sensation in her right hand. She can actually feel enough to pick a jellybean out of a bag. This is a great improvement. Left hand still has absolutely no sensation of touch or temperature.
She is in a nursing facility now, only about a half hour away, and it is joined with an assisted living facility, so it feels less hospital-ish. When they feel she can get out of bed, she will be able to go to a nice dining room. Hopefully that will be soon.
Thanks again for the prayers and positive vibes.
Bob
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Update:
The hospital people are going to take her home on Thursday (12/15) to test and evaluate her to see if she can live at her home. If she passes the test, she'll be home for Christmas.
This is great, because the nursing care facility is about a half hour away when the traffic is light, and her home only 10 minutes away. It will make our job of care-taking much easier (not to mention the savings on gasoline for the car).
Work on the disks is slow but steady, putting in every minute we can. Hopefully early next year.
Thank you for your patience and for all your prayers for Arlene.
Bob
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Best wishes for success on Thursday, Bob. Step back from the disks, a bit, and enjoy the holidays to the extent that you can. Pauline and I are playing a gig everyday at some retirement home or school. The folks' enjoyment makes it fun for us. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Glad to hear everything is going well Bob and Happy Christmas to you. Looking forward to the new disks  Musiclover
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Thanks. Complications, the doctor signed release forms but the 'intensive nursing care facility' is releasing her "against medical advice" - hopefully that's just a CYA phrase for lawsuit avoidance (Arlene wouldn't sue anyone anyway). She has been in hospitals/recovery/nursing for 8 weeks now and is mentally more than ready to be home. We went to her apartment yesterday, I installed 2 phone extensions so she will always be near one, we picked up scatter rugs and anything else she can trip on, cleaned it up, and stocked the refrigerator with easy to prepare foods. I guess we'll be spending some time there until we feel confident she can manage by herself. Spinal cord surgery is a 'pain in the neck'  (can't lose our sense of humor) Bob
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
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We spent a lot of time designing my 2 spots when I had the stage IV cancer thing.
An easy chair I could get out of, changed all the bedroom, bought those wireless phones. (I always said if you are too FREAKIN lazy to get up and walk to the phone I'm SORRY!) Old cranks can change their mind, but I tried that once and they took the phones to their bedrooms and we needed the Search and Rescue people to find them...
It's hard to predict things. We had to take up some rugs. I needed a pair of tables and a powerbar for my computer(s) by my chair and bed, I had a laptop both places, reading glasses, lamps. You don't think of that but I was alone except for the home nurse, and on a feeding tube and IV for a while. At one point the Nurses and home care people were dropping in, we gave them keys.
I had my touchstone items too.
I have 4 bird feeders outside my window. I'm sure my son was tired of me calling him to fill them, but it made him visit me!
I think the hardest part was going from a healthy 59 yr old outdoorsman to a 60 year old deaf guy who walks with a cane.
I know we have two different health care systems. Here they start with the homecare nurses and people quick, they want the hospital bed back if possible. No one is making a profit if you are there, at least directly. (Dr.s and nurses always get another patient)
I still kid people I had a full blown dispensary, after all was done I had 2 huge boxes of supplies I donated to one of the hospices. (Over 500 4" square pieces of gauze individually wrapped. Fancy tape.
I care for my parents now. A nursing aide baths my Mom and Monday and Thursday. That's 'free'. They assess her every 4 weeks, and my Mom wants them to STOP asking those stupid questions.
I hope you can figure out ways to make things easier for everyone. It's a very difficult thing when you see the mirror at the end, your life starts going by in slowmotion over your shoulder and you don't want to get so close so as to break the mirror. Because although no one admits it, the other side is just over there. And on most days one would rather stay. I had a lot of other days.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
Thanks. Complications, the doctor signed release forms but the 'intensive nursing care facility' is releasing her "against medical advice" - hopefully that's just a CYA phrase for lawsuit avoidance (Arlene wouldn't sue anyone anyway).
Against Medical Advice (AMA) is not just a "CYA" thing. It means that in the best judgment of the providers there are legitimate medical reasons for someone's continuing to be under inpatient care. There is a lot to be said for being in one's own environment. There is also much to be gained by doing what the nice people in the white coats tell you.
I hope this works out, but please be sensitive to anything that would indicate a return to inpatient care. If she was being released from subacute care, that would be one thing. Anything medical with the modifier "intensive" deserves special attention, IMO.
Richard
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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What confuses me is that the doctors released her, but the nursing care facility released her AMA (Against Medical Advice). Didn't they confer first? Who shall we believe?
She seems to be doing OK so far. She still has that huge neck brace on, and probably will have it on for months. She has a walker and uses it to move around her apartment "just in case". We've stocked her kitchen with easy to prepare and ready to eat food, and we spend as much time with her as we can.
Fortunately she has good medical insurance. Besides for Medicare her husband retired from the U.S. Military so she has the widows benefits.
Personally, I'd like to see the US go to nationalized medicine with a system similar to France and Taiwan -- they seem to have made the best judgments. But that's a political hot potato so this is not the forum for that debate. Fortunately, she's covered and can make the co-pays.
Arlene is the only parent left that Leilani and I have. Mine are both gone. It's sometimes a little sad knowing our generation is next in line. But there is nothing we can do about that except to try to enjoy every day to it's fullest.
Giving of ourselves to help Arlene is sometimes wearying, but it is also joyful to be able to help someone you love.
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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I have some empathy about parent loss since Pauline lost her mom (the last of both of our parents) a couple of years ago. When we lose a parent, it makes us admit to our own mortality---something none of us like to do.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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True. We spend most of our life blissfully ignoring our mortality. Then something happens like the loss of your parents to temporarily jolt most of us into reality again.
When I lost my mother, I was talking about it with a patron at a Yacht club where we often perform, and she agreed about the shock but remarked that if I thought that was difficult, just wait until you lose a sibling.
Life on earth is fragile. Although we would all like to believe in some afterlife, there is no proof. So for me the secret is to live each day to the fullest and enjoy it as much as you can while living a life that will get you to the 'good place' if there is indeed an afterlife like the clergy have all promised us.
So far - so good with Arlene at home. She spends a lot of time in an easy chair watching TV, but then if I had her challenges, I'd probably do the same. With the neck brace, she can't look down to read and car rides are risky. She of course can't drive yet, but an accident, (even something like being rear-ended at a stop light), with her still healing vertebrae could leave her paralyzed from the neck down.
Good news, she has gotten enough sensation back in her left hand to be able to pick moderate sized things up without looking.
Thanks again for all your prayers of support and your patience for the new disk release.
Bob
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Glad to hear of the continued progress of your mother in law Notes.
Did it ever cross your mind to have a big sale as regards your midi disks?
Even selling the lot for $100 to each customer would I'm sure take in $30k or $40k for you, would only need 300-400 customers.
musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 12/19/11 03:15 PM.
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Quote:
Glad to hear of the continued progress of your mother in law Notes.
Thanks. All the prayers and well-wishes are greatly appreciated.
On the question about running a sale:
I run a constant sale on my disks. See http://www.nortonmusic.com/e-delivery.html for details.
You can save hundreds of dollars if you purchase enough disks.
This allows you to 'roll your own mega pack'. You only get the disks you want.
Actually, as a small business owner, I don't make that much per disk. I have flat-rate monthly costs like magazine ads, web hosting, shopping cart, insurance, and so on plus every sale I make both a flat fee and percentage of the sale goes out to the Visa/MC authorization company, the Visa/MC merchant's account, and a flat rate to my subcontractors. In addition, I have business licenses and by living in the USA self-employment tax on every dollar I make.
But I'm not complaining. I really enjoy doing this, along with my other 'main' job, being a performing musician. Although it is very time consuming (I haven't watched one single TV show since the 1980s) it doesn't seem like work. It's just what I do. And I'd rather do music than watch TV anyway.
So if you want a sale, go shopping. My shopping cart will automatically give you the discount price when you add the second item to the cart.
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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One big illness, and you'd better learn to like tv. I got sore fingers from playing keys, and I still can't blow very well, my neck is like a petrified tree trunk from radiation, and many days I have to write down a score and decide if I should be behind the wheel of the car. But TV has become a refuge. We talked about ditching the cable, and there are only 4 HDTV over air things here, but I just am not ready for that. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of tv. But with a good sense of humour and lots of channels heck, even the Discovery Channel and the Nature stuff is great. Documentary channels, Swamp people, direct from the bayou, American loggers what a laugh. I have books, music, CD's Dvd's music gear, and I still end up doing 3 hours a day of TV. And to think the only thing I saw for decades was hockey night in Canada, some Canuck football games and the odd Jays game. I think I missed the pawn shop shows in the 60's. LOL I sat in the same chair, all day, 8 hours a day, hooked to a feeding machine, at home. What else was there to do?
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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
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Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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