A podcast from renowned silent film accompanist/historian Ben Model covering the techniques of creating and performing live scores to silent films, as well as a discussion of the language of silent cinema. Find what goes on in the mind of a silent film accompanist before, during and after playing for a show. Learn about the aesthetics of silent filmmaking and storytelling language.
ep. 67: Scoring Wallace Reid in Kansas, Maurice Tourneur at MoMA, and “Ramona” for Kino Lorber
Ramona (1928) · Apr 24, 2025
ep. 65: Scoring Roland West’s “The Bat” (1926)
The Bat (1926) · Dec 30, 2024
ep. 53: underscoring “Frankenstein” (1931), leitmotifs and how often to use them, listener questions, and more.
Frankenstein (1931) · Nov 24, 2022
ep. 47: accompanying The Patsy, The Cameraman, and Gilbert Gottfried
The Cameraman (1928) · May 26, 2022
ep. 47: accompanying The Patsy, The Cameraman, and Gilbert Gottfried
The Patsy (1928) · May 26, 2022
ep. 08 (re-posted): “A Trip to the Moon” in Tromsø, an Organ in Oslo, live comedy show “Everybody Gets Cake”, Marcel Perez
A Trip to the Moon (1902) · Feb 2, 2022
ep. 44: Exploring the Music of “City Lights”…From Inside the Score
City Lights (1931) · Jan 24, 2022
ep. 05 (re-posted): Marathon of shows, Music for Doug and Mary, Organ Benches and Piano Lights
The Mark of Zorro (1920) · Jan 13, 2022
ep. 05 (re-posted): Marathon of shows, Music for Doug and Mary, Organ Benches and Piano Lights
My Best Girl (1927) · Jan 13, 2022
ep. 03 (re-posted): Two Silent Griffiths (Raymond and D.W.), Music for Weddings and Funerals, DVDs, Alternate Scores
The Avenging Conscience (1914) · Jan 6, 2022
ep. 03 (re-posted): Two Silent Griffiths (Raymond and D.W.), Music for Weddings and Funerals, DVDs, Alternate Scores
Paths to Paradise (1925) · Jan 6, 2022
ep. 02 (re-posted): Unidentified films, DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments”, YouTube ethics, The Crowd, and more
The Ten Commandments (1956) · Jan 5, 2022
ep. 02 (re-posted): Unidentified films, DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments”, YouTube ethics, The Crowd, and more
The Ten Commandments (1923) · Jan 5, 2022
ep. 01: re-posting of premiere (2012) episode
Chicago (2002) · Jan 3, 2022
ep. 01: re-posting of premiere (2012) episode
The Crowd (1928) · Jan 3, 2022
ep. 01: re-posting of premiere (2012) episode
The Eagle (2011) · Jan 3, 2022
ep. 01: re-posting of premiere (2012) episode
The Night Club (1925) · Jan 3, 2022
ep. 37: Mostly Lost, Keaton’s The Cameraman and The General, an electric organ and Laurel & Hardy
The General (1926) · Jun 24, 2020
ep. 37: Mostly Lost, Keaton’s The Cameraman and The General, an electric organ and Laurel & Hardy
The Cameraman (1928) · Jun 24, 2020
ep. 24: Stuart Oderman, playing the numbers in Detroit, Show People, The Crowd, DVD news
The Crowd (1928) · Aug 18, 2017
ep. 24: Stuart Oderman, playing the numbers in Detroit, Show People, The Crowd, DVD news
Show People (1928) · Aug 18, 2017
episode 19: a trip to Egypt?, Keaton and Lloyd in South Korea, prepping for a 1915 Swedish silent
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) · Aug 27, 2016