Tag: MoMA

  • 7 shows in 6 days

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    Ben Model

    Played for seven shows in the last six days. Performing every day for a stretch like this happens every once in a while. A little traveling involved, but not way far out of town. Sunday afternoon was the final program for The Silent Clowns Film Series, and we had a real nice turnout…around 80 people.…

  • Chaplin’s “Adventurer” for concert band

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    Ben Model

    Well, March is here — and while my sched of performances is a tad lighter, I’m plenty busy with recording and re-arranging. A high school in Connecticut contacted me a couple months ago about doing a silent film program with one of my orchestral scores…but the school has a band and no orchestra (not too…

  • 2008 update

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    Ben Model

    Too much to go into, and am sorry I’ve not posted in a while. Lots of things going on and lots to catch up on…and not enough time to get it all in right now. I will try to update you in drips and drabs in the next couple of weeks as time pops up.…

  • Dec/Jan/Feb show bookings

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    Ben Model

    Have just finished recording theatre organ scores for a release by Unknown Video of William S. Hart in Sand. Also on the disc is an Art Acord 2-reel oater and a surprise comedy short (you’ll just have to buy it to find out!). Recorded the scores earlier in the week on the Miditzer and am…

  • Fall Cinesation in Ohio, Sept 27-30

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    Ben Model

    Much, much to report. Have been meaning to post a videoblog, but there still hasn’t been enough time to deal with that. Still trying to get the dust from Sept to settle (24 performances)… Played for 5 Sessue Hayakawa films at MoMA the week after I returned from Norway. One on piano and the others…

  • Peg O’ My Heart (1922) with Laurette Taylor

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    Ben Model

    Played for Peg O’ My Heart at MoMA last night, and will play for its repeat on Thursday. Print is MoMA’s, acquired from Filmoteca Española, Madrid. Titles were all in English, possibly made by the archive as part of their preservation work, as they looked newer than the film. The film is basically complete, with…

  • The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) – MoMA 6/2

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    Ben Model

    The 6pm show of The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), plus the 1975 Sunday, Too Far Away was introduced by Paolo Cherchi Usai, of the National Film and Sound Archive in Australia, the archive that restored these films. Paolo told of the efforts to preserve and find the pieces of the Kelly film, the…

  • Cabiria (1914) – MoMA, June 2

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    Ben Model

    Cabiria, in a new preservation by Cineteca di Bologna, MoMA et al was screened with live theatre organ accompaniment by me. While the running time listed in the catalog was 180 mins, the picture ran closer to 2 hrs 20 mins at our show; same for the press screening I played for (NY Times) on…

  • news: MoMA to add theatre organ to its silent film accompaniments

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    Ben Model

    Well, it’s happened. MoMA purchased all the necxessary hardware – keyboard, stand, organ pedals – for the Miditzer VTO (virtual theatre organ) this week. What this means is that when I am asked to play for a silent film at MoMA and want to use a theatre organ instead of piano…I can. For the last…

  • My summer of silents

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    Ben Model

    On June 1st I begin a rather busy two months of silent film accompaniment, both on piano and on theatre organ. 16 dates in June and 13 in July, several of which have two (or three) shows on the same day. Some of these bookings just came in over the past week, and some were…