A Montgomery County Community College Sound Recording and Music Technology (SRT), A.A.S., program alumnus and faculty member was recently selected for an international artist residency in the Arctic. He was also named the recipient of the 2026 iZotope Award for Excellence in Creativity in Music Production from Berklee College of Music.

SRT Lecturer Colin Foley, ’22, has been selected for a three-month residency at the Spitsbergen Artists Center in Longyearbyen, Norway, in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The residency runs from March 2027 until June.

Artist residencies provide dedicated time and space for creative exploration, allowing artists to develop new work, experiment with ideas, and share their creative process. The Spitsbergen Artists Residency welcomes artists from different countries and across disciplines and media to develop projects connected to the High Arctic.

Foley, who lives in Jenkintown, began working at the College in 2022 as a tutor for the SRT program, before becoming a faculty member in 2023. At MCCC, Foley primarily teaches Introduction to Sound Recording and Sound Recording Technology. He said he was very excited to attend the residency.

Northern exposure

“To get the chance to do what I love to do in such an amazing environment is such a dream,” he said, who has visited Svalbard several times in the past. “I’m enamored with the whole world there.”

Foley visited the artists center while there and came across the residency opportunity. He applied and was selected, he said.

“As a musician, I was moved by this place and wanted the opportunity to put my emotions into my music,” he said. “They were on board with my vision and that’s how this came about.”

Located in Nybyen, a historic district of Longyearbyen, the artists center provides accommodation and workspace and encourages residents to engage with the local community through an exhibition, workshop or lecture.

During his residency, Foley will undertake an original creative recording project titled “Sounds of Svalbard.” Inspired by the Arctic’s extraordinary landscapes, wildlife, and extreme environmental conditions, he will compose an original body of ambient and electronic music that captures the beauty, wonder and atmosphere of the region.

Through field recording, Foley art, music production techniques and experimental sound design, Foley will transform sounds gathered from the natural environment into immersive soundscapes and original compositions. The project will explore how the sounds of a remote and distinctive landscape can become the foundation for musical expression and sonic storytelling.

“I’m looking forward to being completely immersed in the natural environment,” he said, “and then taking what I’m feeling and translating it immediately into art.”

Experiential learning

As part of the residency, Foley plans to share his work and creative process through public lectures and an exhibition. He also intends to bring “Sounds of Svalbard” back to the College community, offering students, faculty, and the wider community an opportunity to experience the project and learn about the creative possibilities of field recording, sound design, and electronic music production.

“I’ll bring that lecture to the local community and share it with my students at Montco,” he said. “It directly translates to what we teach in SRT. It will be beneficial to show students how I made the project and the possibilities that exist in careers in sound.”

Foley noted there is a multimedia element to the project. His wife, Ariel Olsher, will shoot photos and video during the residency. Foley will highlight these elements of the project to showcase the collaboration found between video and sound professions, which is something that is emphasized and encouraged regularly in both the SRT and Mass Media, A.A., program.

“We’ll show students how visual elements,” he said, “and collaborative multimedia come together to make a final product.”

As both an alumnus and instructor, Colin’s achievement highlights the connection between the College’s SRT program and the ongoing creative work of its graduates. Through “Sounds of Svalbard”, he will bring an international artistic experience back to the College, sharing new perspectives on sound, music, technology, and the natural environment.

Top of the class

In addition to the upcoming expedition, Foley was recently awarded the 2026 iZotope Award for Excellence in Creativity in Music Production from the Berklee College of Music, for his graduating project EP, “The Egg” in the school’s music production master’s degree program. The iZotope Award specifically honors outstanding creativity, artistic vision, and innovation in music production.

Foley also delivered the commencement address for Berklee Online's graduating class.

In announcing the award, Berklee recognized Foley's ability to produce music that "captures emotion through a colorful and imaginative style," according to its website. Foley’s project was selected through a blind and anonymous review.

“It feels awesome,” said Foley. “I’m incredibly honored and extremely humbled. It’s cool for me to see this project win the award. I spent a lot of time on it. It’s a personal project that has meant a lot to me. I immersed myself in the program, so to have my work recognized was exciting. It’s near and dear to my heart and that made it that much sweeter.”

Foley attended Berklee Online’s master’s degree program in music production after obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the Berklee College of Music. He was selected for the iZotope Award for his Culminating Experience project.

At MCCC, Foley said he enjoys watching students in the SRT program refine their talent over time.

“The community, facilities and experience level from the faculty provides exciting opportunity for students to find themselves creatively and professionally,” he said. “So many students enter the program excited by the energy and studios. They soon find the voices that define their careers and allow them to express themselves artistically. We provide an amazing launchpad for that.”

Foley said he was extremely grateful for all of the recognition he’s received this year.

“I feel more inspired than ever,” he said, “and appreciate this moment. I’ll look back at this year as a defining year personally and in my career. I want to seize the moment and pass along what I’ve learned to others to make lasting art out of it all.”