When junior Preston McNulty Socha describes playing the cello, something he has done since third grade, it’s as if you can hear the music. 

“I like the depth of sound in the cello; it’s so varied,” Preston said. “Its lowest notes can be so sad and so powerful. You can go so high that you can mirror the human voice and the human emotions through the instrument, and it becomes an extension of you.” 

Last summer, helped by a Norton Fellowship, Preston taught music classes and read books at the Hartford Public Library for lower income children with limited access to musical instruments.  

“The four-week program was called ‘Books and Beats,’ ” Preston said. “We’d have 20-30 students, open with some rhythm activities, preview the instrument, do a craft that would connect the instrument, such as how sound is made, do some reading.” 

Preston plays the cello and sings at his church in Hartford, the Cathedral of St. Joseph, where he is a cantor. He is in the Orchestra and Concert Choir at Loomis Chaffee and the Music Mentors program, which reaches out students at Windsor public schools. Before coming to Loomis Chaffee, Preston attended the University of Hartford Magnet School and remembers the college students coming into his classes. Now he is paying it forward. 

“For these kids to get exposed to these new instruments they may have never seen before is important because if you're not exposed to it, you’ll never know if you're going to like it,” Preston said. “Also, regarding rhythm and working with the music, it’s not individual. You’re part of a team, a community, and it’s important to make connections with one another. I was able to introduce these fundamental early music lessons, and if they want to go further, they have the base and are not playing catchup.” 

Playing the cello and being a cantor has brought Preston to the realization that his talents should be shared. 

“As a cantor I’m able to see how my music and leading people in prayer can connect so many and bring life,” he said. “That inspired me to say, ‘OK, I have these skills. How can I give it to the next generation so that they can do the same thing and provide that platform to try something new?’ ” 

Preston wants to keep going with his music in college and beyond. He sees himself having a double major. 

“I want to pursue music at a high level, but I love my academic classes and want to keep going where I can explore everything because I have too many interests to just focus on one area,” he said. 

A musical composition might only last minutes, but all that goes into it carries on for much longer. 

“Beyond the musical foundation, it teaches you to know how you feel, and to put that into your music,” Preston said. “You also learn how to communicate and work together with your peers in a larger community. By teaching kids to be good communicators and good teammates and respect their peers, they are not only learning music skills but fundamental life skills you can take anywhere.” 

The four other Norton Fellow recipients from last summer are: 

• Senior Toby Bushley worked in his hometown of South Glastonbury with families of special needs kids planning various local activities in parks and green spaces with plantings and clean-ups. 
• Senior Serena Kim taught creative writing to young students in her home country of South Korea. 
• Senior Mattie Wright created several pollinator gardens in her hometown of Redding, CT. 
• Junior Angela Adu-Boateng traveled to Ghana and helped work at a local school setting up a mobile library and working in the classroom for a week. 

The Norton Fellowships are administered by the school’s Norton Family Center for the Common Good. The application process usually starts when students return from spring break in March. Students must submit an application, two recommendations, and a project proposal (including budget needs) to the selection committee. Generally, five students are selected and awarded about $500 to $1,000 to complete their projects over the summer. All projects connect to themes surrounding the common good and are expected to be applied to campus life upon return to school.