Q&A
with RICHARD K. SMUCKER
Music, Memories, & Brownies
E V E N B E F O R E he was elected to chair The Cleve-
land Orchestra’s board of trustees, Richard Smucker was a regular at Blossom Music Center — and not just for orchestral concerts. We asked him about some of his favorite musical memories, and what makes Blossom special. We also remembered to ask for his wife’s Fudgy Brownie recipe. Do you remember your first performance at Blossom? The first concert I saw at Blossom was in 1969, a year after it opened. It was the summer between my junior and senior years of college — and also the summer my wife and I got married. At that time, we were more interested in attending rock music concerts than orchestral ones. I’m not sure what the very first show we attended was, but one of my earliest memories is a Helen Reddy concert. I remember everybody holding up their lighters — back then we didn’t have iPhones with picture screens, so the crowd held up actual lighters when she was singing “I Am Woman,” which really served as an anthem for the women’s movement during that period. Everyone became part of that song. It was a great communal experience. Had you already been introduced to Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Severance Hall? Yes, my family would drive up from Orrville to Cleveland for the Christmas concerts at Severance Hall — and to do some holiday shopping. Going to Cleveland was a special event, and it took an hour and 15 minutes to drive each way back then. As soon as Blossom opened in 1968, all of a sudden The Cleveland Orchestra was a lot closer and accessible to a lot more people. People from Summit County, Stark County, Holmes County, Wayne County. All of us from that area could easily attend an evening concert. I think a lot of people were introduced to the Orchestra 6
through Blossom, which was part of the whole idea for building Blossom Music Center in the first place. And I think the idea really worked. When did you first start attending Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Blossom? Around the time that we started going to Blossom, we made it a point to go to the July 4th concerts. We always went to hear the 1812 Overture, performed by the Orchestra or the Pops. It was so much fun getting ready for the cannon blasts. Every time it went off, you’d jump out of your chair. But starting in the early 1970s or so, my wife and I, we’d go to four or five Cleveland Orchestra concerts each summer with friends. We were all newlyweds, including Emily and me. We would pack a picnic and everyone would be assigned a course — you bring a salad, you bring the main course, you bring a dessert. Emily’s fudgy brownies were always a big hit. We almost always sat on the Lawn back then, maybe with a couple of blankets or folding chairs, and made it a wonderful long evening of food, entertainment, and conversation. Today, we tend to prefer sitting in the Pavilion, to be closer to the music, but the experience, inside and out, is really remarkable — and memorable. Were you also still seeing rock and folk music at Blossom? That continued, too, for awhile. And we saw many — James Taylor, Jethro Tull, Simon & Garfunkel. And, probably more than once: Peter, Paul and Mary. Looking back, I’m astounded to see that Blossom had nearly every single major rock and roll band, and all the big-name folk singers, all the big music acts. And for us, it was always about more than just music. Back then, and even now, it’s about the message. When performances mean something, make a statement, they can really grip your soul. The folk singers of that era took a
