Orange Grove Wins O-Factor, Earns Opening Slot at SUNY Oneonta’s O-Fest

By DAKOTA KEATS
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA

Orange Grove, a student musical group at SUNY Oneonta, has won the university’s annual O-Factor competition, earning the coveted opening performance slot at O-Fest, the campus’ largest spring concert event, scheduled for Saturday, May 2. 

O-Factor serves as both a showcase and competition for student musicians, with the winner selected to open for this year’s O-Fest headliner, Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson. According to Madeline Blieden, a member of SUNY Oneonta’s Activities Council, the program plays a key role in connecting student performers to one of the university’s most popular cultural traditions. 

“O-Factor is essentially the process that we go through to allow our student bands to compete to open for the O-Fest headliner,” Blieden explained. 

This year’s competition took place in the Hunt Union Ballroom on Monday, March 30. The show featured 16 bands and one solo performer, reflecting what Blieden described as strong student interest tied to the popularity of the headlining act. In addition to the main stage opening slot, all participating musicians are invited to perform at other locations around campus during the day-long O-Fest festivities, giving them added exposure. 

Blieden emphasized that the event—modeled on the famous television music competition series “The X Factor”—is designed not only to determine a winner, but also to support student musicians and strengthen the campus music community. 

“I’m hoping that students can take away from this that [our] student organizations want to provide opportunities for our own student bands to perform, get their names out there and promote themselves,” said Blieden, who is president-elect for the A/C. “It fosters some healthy competition.” 

O-Factor is largely student-run, organized through a collaboration between the A/C and students in the Music Department’s audio arts production minor. Students manage logistics, sound engineering and technical operations, while faculty members serve in advisory roles. 

Performances are judged using five criteria: musical proficiency; originality and creativity; stage presence; audience interaction; and overall presentation. Although judges score each act, audience participation also plays a decisive role. 

“The student votes do weigh more as compared to the judges’ votes,” Blieden said, noting that results are determined by a weighted system combining both sets of scores. 

After a competitive night, the rock band Orange Grove emerged as the top performer. 

The band’s origins trace back to early connections on the SUNY Oneonta campus.

“Finding this band came so naturally,” guitarist Holden Altman said. “On the first day of orientation, we all started connecting. And the rest is history.” 

The five-member group credited extensive rehearsals and strong chemistry for their success. 

“The only preparation we had was a lot of rehearsal time and dedication to our music,” lead guitarist Sean Reynolds said. 

Lead singer Jasmine Famulari said the band worked to ensure that preparation translated into a strong live performance. 

“When everything clicks in rehearsals, there’s no better feeling than watching everyone enjoy the moment and then bringing that energy to the actual show,” Famulari said. 

Song selection also played a key role. Drummer Jake Weissman said the band carefully chose material that would resonate with the broad O-Factor audience. 

“Narrowing it down to two songs was tough, but we understand each other and our strengths pretty well,” Weissman said. “Being able to dance and sing along are things we took heavily into account.” 

Despite their preparation, the competition remained intense, with strong performances from other student acts. 

“We were all fairly nervous that day, as a band,” Altman said. “The [other] bands impressed us. But we knew we had worked ourselves to the bone and that it was now in the audience’s hands.” 

Audience engagement ultimately proved to be a defining factor. Reynolds said one of the most memorable moments in their O-Factor performance came when he left the stage mid-song. 

“I went into the crowd and got the rest of the audience fired up,” he said. 

For bassist Aiden Gomes, the win represents both growth and affirmation for the group. 

“Orange Grove was originally just five friends who wanted to play shows,” Gomes said. “Us winning really proves that we can stand out as dedicated and passionate musicians.” 

The victory carried additional significance, as it marked the band’s third attempt at O-Factor. 

“This was our third time trying out, and finding out we won was pretty surreal,” Weissman said. 

As they prepare for their O-Fest performance, the band said they are focused on delivering an energetic set. 

“Fans should be prepared for a high-energy performance that they can sing along to,” Gomes said. “We’re really putting our all into this show.” 

Blieden said O-Factor continues to evolve each year, with organizers incorporating student feedback to improve the event while keeping its mission intact. 

“We’re always trying to make these events better as they evolve,” Blieden said. “We’re always open to feedback.” 

As O-Fest approaches, O-Factor highlights both emerging student talent like Orange Grove and the collaborative, student-driven work behind one of SUNY Oneonta’s signature traditions. 

O-Fest will take place on Saturday, May 2 on the SUNY Oneonta campus. Students from Hartwick College, SUNY Delhi and local community members of all ages are invited to participate. The day’s festivities begin on the quad with a carnival at 1 p.m., featuring games, food vendors and other family-friendly activities. The concert with headliner artist Zara Larsson begins at 6 p.m. in Dewar Arena. Tickets for the evening concert are sold out.  

This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.