Orange Grove Wins O-Factor, Earns Opening Slot at SUNY Oneonta’s O-Fest
By DAKOTA KEATSSUNY Institute for Local NewsONEONTA
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.
