Sounds Met With Silence by Dana (Smith ’93) Daniels
Had American Idol been discovering new music talent back in the ’60s, would its fans have helped launch the careers of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel? Not if Northwestern College students had been responsible for the vote.
Somewhat forgotten in Northwestern history is the visit the now-classic duo of Simon and Garfunkel made to campus. A search of the college archives provides little evidence of their stop in Orange City—only a small photo in the 1965 yearbook. Dan Smith ’67, however, clearly remembers his brief encounter with the soon-to-be stars of the music industry.
The occasion that brought them to Northwestern was the 1965 May Day banquet. May Day, though no longer celebrated on campus, was once the social event of the spring semester. According to Smith, when word spread that the banquet entertainers were Simon and Garfunkel, students laughed and joked about the musical guests with the funny-sounding name.
“Since there was no dancing at Northwestern back then—at least of the sanctioned variety,” adds Smith with a smile, “they performed while we sat and listened. I can’t remember any specific songs, but I do recall noting the quality of their musicianship. I also sensed that their performance was not well-received. Their song lyrics contained an evident social message, and I’m not sure that was what we wanted in our entertainment.”
Later that evening, Smith returned to Colenbrander Hall, where he met Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel roaming the dorm, looking for something to eat. He directed them to the candy and pop machines, their best bet for food at 10 p.m. in Orange City. Smith thanked them for their good performance—a compliment met with surprise, as the two admitted knowing they’d not been popular with students.
“I’ll never forget Paul and Art following me into my dorm room and finding seats on the bunk beds,” says Smith. “Paul Simon noticed my guitar, reached for it and strummed it for a few moments.”
Smith then bid them good night and hurried off, eager to rejoin his date. He didn’t give another thought to the unknown musicians back in his dorm.
Within months of Simon and Garfunkel’s performance at Northwestern, The Sounds of Silence was released and rose to the top of the music charts. Smith recalls hearing their music on the radio and realizing that May Day banquets would no longer appear on their performance schedule.
Over the years, Smith has enjoyed an occasional return to Colenbrander 119 to ask its current occupants if they know who once visited their room. When the answer is given, the name Simon and Garfunkel is not met with laughter—only interest that such well-known artists once performed at Northwestern.