Ben Model (born 1962) is an American musician, historian, publisher, and presenter of
silent films
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...
. An
accompanist
Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of ...
, he composes and performs organ or piano music for silent films. He accompanies films live and records scores for home video releases.
He founded a DVD label called Undercrank Productions that releases rare or lost silent films.
Biography
Model was a student of silent film organist Lee Erwin.
He volunteered to provide musical accompaniment to silent films showings while a film student. His live performances are largely improvised. The music he plays also provides audio cues to shifts in the story and highlights actions and events in the films.
Model has hosted programs for the
Cleveland Institute of Art
The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio.
History
The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at fir ...
[ and ]Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
. In New York City. He travels extensively doing presentations, many in schools. He performs regularly at MoMA and at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
’ Packard Campus Theater.[
In 2020, during the ]COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Model and film historian Steve Massa hosted a weekly live-streamed show of silent films with musical accompaniment.
He and fellow performers David Razin and Stephen Horne as well as orchestras and bands accompanying films have drawn crowds and helped renew audience interest in the silent film genre.[ He has discussed filmmakers such as ]Alice Guy
Alice may refer to:
* Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname
Literature
* Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll
* ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
.
Bibliography
*''Accidentally Preserved: Notes on the Films'' by Steven Massa, Ben Model, Undercrank Productions (November 27, 2013)
See also
* Paul Killiam
References
External links
His Silent Film Music websiteHis Undercrank Productions website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Model, Ben
American organists
American film historians
1962 births
Living people
21st-century American composers
21st-century organists