In The Dark - Interview w/ Aaron Brumfield Jr

In this episode of The Dumping Ground, I sat down with Aaron Brumfield Jr., a member of the University of Oregon’s premier all-male a cappella group, On The Rocks. We dove into a conversation about one of their most anticipated annual performances: In The Dark. This unique end-of-year show begins at midnight and takes place in the EMU Amphitheater, right in the heart of campus. During the event, the group performs every song they’ve learned throughout the academic year, offering the audience a full musical journey through their season. Aaron shared insights into what makes In The Dark such a memorable and emotional tradition—not only for the audience but also for the members of On The Rocks, especially those preparing to graduate.

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Aaron Brumfield Jr: 00:20

Hello. My name is Aaron Brumfield Junior. I sing baritone, and I'm part of UO on the Rocks.

Nick Wright: 00:27

And you just joined this year. Correct? Yes. I did. Awesome. As a new joiner, what makes this show challenging, and, like, were there parts that you had to focus on in rehearsal that you didn't in your regular Friday shows?

Aaron Brumfield Jr: 00:42

I would say definitely something for me that I had to focus on was more of the performance aspect. For me, I'm more of an introvert, so, like, putting myself out there and kind of, like, acting and performing in a sense is something I'm still getting used to. Yeah. So, yeah, that's one of the main things. But another thing also that I kind of have been working on in rehearsals is just vocal range and maintaining my vocal health when it comes to, like, having constantly constantly having to perform at these, like, shows and events.

Nick Wright: 01:12

Yeah. So what do you think makes In The Dark different from the regular performance?

Aaron Brumfield Jr: 01:17

I would say it's, like, the culmination of, like, everything we've ever learned and accomplished. We have new people who join each year, just come out, have fun. We have older alumni coming out to the show. And it's just a fun night just to, like, sing, have fun. And it's also bitter a little bittersweet because we do have some people, the seniors, are graduating.

Aaron Brumfield Jr: 01:45

So it's just a fun time, and it's a last goodbye of sorts.

Nick Wright: 01:48

That's really sad, though. Little mama. I love this. Okay. As a closer to this quick impromptu interview, why is this concert important to you guys?

Aaron Brumfield Jr: 02:04

Like I said previously, it's just Alaska by, and honestly, I know I'm gonna be definitely crying at this performance, but it's just important to all of us because we've all grown up. We've all seen how each other's basically, we've all seen how everyone has kind of grown up, developed, whether it be singing personality wise. We just it's gonna be a heartfelt moment because we're truly are brothers, and it's just gonna Yeah. It's just gonna be such a fun time and a hard time.

Nick Wright: 02:39

I'm excited. Thank you. Yeah. Awesome. Thank you so much.

Nick Wright: 02:43

Of course.