A teen used a piano at Michigan's Lansing Mall to play music and caught the attention of a shopper.
At first, Sara Hadley thought the teen was just playing around, but once she heard the notes coming from the piano, she recorded a clip on her iPhone.
Hadley posted the video to Facebook, captioning the video, "This is why they put a piano in the (mall). Self taught. Wow. Gave me goosebumps."
The self-taught piano player is Monntel West. The 18-year-old told the Lansing State Journal he was at the mall to meet a friend. Then, "all of a sudden people started surrounding me."
West said he has no formal training on the piano. He learned by practicing on the keyboard and watching YouTube videos. He played Yiruma's "River Flows in You" while he played Brian Tyler's "Loss of a Twin" through his headphones.
"If I did get lessons, I think I could be better," West said. "You can always get better."
"I had goosebumps," Hadley said. "It was just amazing, and I figured he just deserved some sort of recognition. It was nice to hear somebody who knew what they were doing, and he wasn't really trying to show off by any means."
Now, the video has over 300,000 views, and West is inundated with friend requests on Facebook.
West hopes that his Internet stardom encourages others who may have a hidden talent. "Everybody has those hidden talents and hidden abilities. Hopefully this shows people to not be afraid to show them."
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