Ben Model
silent film accompanist, historian, presenter
Piano, theatre organ, orchestra, band.
Blu-ray production/distribution.
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 near someone you know!
My Book!
I’ve written a book called The Silent Film Universe, which was published in June 2025.
Ensemble Scores
I’ve written several scores for silent film shorts, for both orchestra and concert band.
Ernie Kovacs
I am the archivist for the Ernie Kovacs television collections and helped get his TV shows out on DVD box sets.
Blu-ray Label
My boutique home-video label has released 35+ discs since 2013, showcasing undiscovered silent era gems.
Podcast
There are many movie music podcasts. Mine is about silent film accompaniment.
Lectures
I teach a course at Wesleyan University, plus there are a few talks I give about silent movies.