Friday evening while waiting for a friend at the Lansing Mall in Michigan, Monntel West decided to pass the time by playing the piano at the east end of the mall. Little did the 18-year-old Everett High School senior know, he was being recorded by a woman who could not wait to share on social media what she had just witnessed.

This is why they put a piano in the #lansingmall. Self taught!! #yiruma. Wow. Gave me goosebumps!!

Posted by Sara Hadley on Friday, January 22, 2016

Sara Hadley, the woman behind the camera, told the Lansing State Journal that she was blown away by West’s talent. “I had goosebumps… It was just amazing, and I figured he just deserved some sort of recognition,” Hadley said.

What makes West’s story even more impressive is he has never had formal piano lessons nor does he know how to read music. He said he learned most of what he knows from practicing on a keyboard and watching YouTube videos. He is able to amazingly replicate what he hears and that is what helped him perform Yiruma’s “River Flows in You” at the mall on Friday.

The video went from a viewer’s admiration of a self-taught pianist to a viral sensation. As of Monday afternoon, the almost 2-minute clip has close to 250,000 views on Facebook and over 5,000 shares. West shared his appreciation in a live Facebook video he posted on his page Sunday.

Thanks to Hadley’s video and the buzz surrounding the teen, West has been offered several invitations to partake in free lesson and a GoFundMe was even created to get him a piano of his very own.

After graduation, the high school senior plans  to study music management for two years at Lansing Community College and then transfer to Michigan State University the further his studies.

“Everybody has those hidden talents and hidden abilities,” West said. “Hopefully this shows people to not be afraid to show them.”

Check out more of his piano skills.