That was Billy Joel’s response after performing his classic hit “New York State of Mind” with Michael Pollack at Vanderbilt University. Who is Michael Pollack? He’s a college freshman at Vandy who mustered up the courage to ask if he could accompany Joel on stage during a Q&A session:

“My favorite song of yours is ‘New York State of Mind.’ I was very fortunate to play with Richie Cannata [Joel’s saxophone player] many times in New York City and I was wondering if I could play it with you.”

To which Joel immediately said, “Okay.”

The experience is absolutely magical, delightful. Moments of serendipity and unexpected joy are all too few in this world. It’s also a reminder that risk-taking is a necessary ingredient in gaining a mastery of one’s work. In that, Michael Pollack is a teacher to us all.