NORWICH – Bringing his skill, ability and stage experience with him, one professional musician is spending time locally teaching and advising students not only on songwriting, but also on life lessons as well.

Bob Halligan, a professional musician from Syracuse and lead singer of the band Ceili Rain, has shared his talents to educate students of all ages on the wonders of making sound, turning sound into beautiful music, performing on stage and letting their feelings and instincts tell the story.

As part of the Chenango County Council of the Arts artist residency program, Halligan has been on hand all week at both Holy Family School and after school at The Place. Working with students ages 10 to 17 after school has been a great opportunity, said Halligan, who will perform with Ceili Rain in a 7 p.m. Friday show at the Chenango County Council of the Arts, 27 W. Main St., Norwich.

During the first few lessons, Halligan gave a hands-on demonstration about what goes into writing music and how to set the songs to music. By Wednesday afternoon, at least three students took to the stage.