I have multiple uses for Band in a Box.

1. Practice, both keyboards and horn, and sometimes pennywhistle.
2. Experimentation.
3. Make a backing track and then play it when a friend brings his horn and I have the keyboard, though I don't do much of that, about 4 times a year.
4. Same as above, but I print the piano backing track, render a file, and my pal Pete sings while band in a box and I jam. (of course in the previous 2 instances I print then mute the melody.)
5. Making 'scores' for videos.

I remember spending hours trying to get a Mozart piece into band in a box. Putting in notes by hand, finding the chords, etc., only to find a midi file at classicalmusicarchives.
and ending up importing it in seconds. And as a recreational hacker/jazzer if I improvise I'm not selling it, it's just John, not Oscar Peterson. And I change it every time, except for some constant riffs I made up for stuff like Satin Doll. Even then you need to modify the piece to suit the audience, if they are not jazz people, no sense in going in to some strange key and using the minor third and running the thing through the world music genres before coming back to the melody, especially if they are singing along or seem to know the song.

You can find most songs from the 20's to the 90's somewhere in band in a box format and if not in midi. If you get stuck for material, get one of Norton's Fake books and the backing tracks, and happy days are here again....

Not saying some folks who are younger and learning might get an education playing into the system and seeing the notes and rooting (HA) out the mis-takes. (Double Pun intended). But at the end of the day your ears should be the judge and heaven knows I'm postive I'm needing to find the half step resolution to the wrong note. Actually there are no wrong notes, they belong somewhere in another song..!!!!

John Conley
Musica est vita