Ben Model
silent film accompanist, historian, presenter
Piano, theatre organ, orchestra.
Blu-ray & DVD production.
Education. Writing.
“Audience Preservation”
BEN MODEL is one of the nation’s leading silent film accompanists, and performs on both piano and theatre organ. Ben works full-time presenting and accompanying silent films in a wide variety of venues and festivals around the USA and internationally, carrying on a tradition he learned from silent film organist Lee Erwin (1919-2000).
Over the past 4 decades Ben has created and performed thousands of live scores for several hundred silent films. Ben is a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and at the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theatre, is a regular at festivals such as the TCM Classic Film Festival, Capitolfest and the Kansas Silent Film Festival, and performs regularly at historic theaters, museums, schools and other venues around the US and internationally.
About Me
Is this really what I do for a living? Yep, it is. But there’s more to being a silent film accompanist than playing the piano.
Performances
Check my show schedule: I may be playing somewhere near you or someone you know!
Orchestral Scores
I’ve written several scores for silent film shorts, suitable for professional and school orchestras (and bands).
Lectures & Education
In addition to introducing the films I play for, there are a few different talks I give about aspects of silent movies.
Ernie Kovacs
I am the archivist for the television collections of Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams and helped get their shows out on DVD
Blu-ray & DVD
My boutique home-video label has released 25+ discs since 2013, showcasing undiscovered silent era gems.
Podcast
There are many movie music podcasts. Mine is about silent film accompaniment.
Live-Streaming
I was the first to take the silent film experience into the virtual realm, in March 2020, and am still at it.