Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) is pleased to announce The Dreher-Coelho Sound Recording and Music Technology Disability Scholarship - thanks to the generous gift of $100,000 from Tony Coelho, a former U.S. Congressman, and Robert (Bobby) Dreher, a strategic business consultant for Bender Consulting Services, Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa. and recent MCCC graduate.

This new scholarship will help students with disabilities who are pursuing a degree in MCCC’s Sound Recording and Music Technology (SRT) program. In addition to the scholarship, the gift from Coelho and Dreher also will help support MCCC’s Center for Music Technology Excellence Fund. The fund covers program-related expenses, such as fees for guest speakers, conference costs and any travel expenses for students.

“We greatly appreciate this remarkable gift, which will have a powerful impact for students with disabilities,” said Jay Browning, MCCC Vice President for Advancement. “Scholarships provide solutions to life challenges and help to remove obstacles that stand in the way of success.”

After learning about the need for scholarships and the Center for Music Technology Excellence Fund, Coelho and Dreher wanted to use their shared passions for music and helping individuals with disabilities to make a difference at MCCC. Music, they agree, is a universal language that touches and connects everyone.

“Montco is a college for students of all abilities, and we thought it was fitting to create this scholarship to help individuals with disabilities succeed in this excellent SRT program,” said Coelho, who was the author of the transformative Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. “Students are not limited in this program—there’s room to be creative and grow.”

“In recent years, Montco added a state-of-the-art recording studio, the Mix Room, that has greatly expanded the SRT program, making it an experiential learning space where students can work with and learn firsthand from industry professionals,” said Dreher, who recently graduated from the SRT program. “We want all students to have the opportunity to use this amazing studio and its top-of-the-line equipment, so they can pursue their career goals in this expanding field.”

Throughout their lives, Coelho and Dreher have dedicated much of their time and energy to help people with disabilities. Coelho himself was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 22, and from his personal experience, he has become an advocate for the rights of and opportunities for all people with disabilities. During his career, Coelho served as Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities from 1994 to 2001, and he served as Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. He is a former chairperson and current member of the board of directors of the Epilepsy Foundation

Dreher’s niece, who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, inspired him to volunteer with the Woods School in Langhorne, Pa., where she attended classes, and Special Olympics. As a consultant for Bender, he helps to connect employers with information technology professionals with disabilities.

Dreher learned about MCCC’s SRT program through his friend, David Ivory, the director of the SRT Program. In addition to his consulting work, Dreher also is a musician, producer, and recording and sound engineer. In 2013, he earned his associate’s degree in Music from Bucks County Community College and then continued his education at Chestnut Hill College with the goals of earning a degree in special education and becoming a teacher or music therapist.

“While I was at Chestnut Hill, I spoke with Mike Kelly (MCCC Music Assistant Professor) and David Ivory and learned about MCCC’s SRT program,” Dreher said. “I knew David, who is a Grammy-nominated engineer and producer, for years from the music industry.”

After enrolling at MCCC, Dreher was not only impressed by the SRT program but also by the many opportunities Montco offers students and the support he received from faculty and staff.

“I have my own internet radio show, Hair ‘Em, on Montco Radio that reaches thousands of people,” Dreher said.

That experience motivated him to build his own studio, where he has created a weekly live stream show, “The Metal Summit,” with co-host Steve Prestup, a former radio personality with Sirius XM. Other collaborators include Max Ash from Argentina and host of MAX 1ON1 Interviews; Jay Oakley, a festival/tour manager from Maryland; and Angel Alamo, an actor from the south New Jersey area and editor of Metal Sludge magazine.

“The weekly show has over 10,000 viewers in its 14 weeks on the air and is on every major streaming platform,” said Dreher, who credits MCCC faculty and staff and the SRT courses in helping him launch the show.

Throughout the year, the MCCC’s SRT program hosts Master Classes where industry professionals visit the Mix Room and share their experiences with students and the community through discussions and questions and answer sessions.

“Michael, David, Jen Mitlas and Matt Porter (MCCC’s Senior Producer and Technical Services Manager) and others - they are all helpful and open to working with students with disabilities,” said Coelho, who serves on the SRT Advisory Board with Dreher. “The College is welcoming and openly accepting of all students; it’s exciting to see. Students are not limited by their physical abilities.”

Now, more than ever, scholarships are making a profound difference for students at MCCC. During the first half of the 2019-2020 academic year, MCCC awarded more than 400 scholarships totaling over $500,000, and that number is growing every day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students are facing extreme hardships – loss of jobs, food insecurity, lack of childcare, technology needs and more – and scholarships play a vital role in helping them continue their education.

Learn more about MCCC’s scholarship programs and how you can make a difference.