Just reading the article on the celebration of Billy Joel recalls memories that I would like to share with you and your readers.

It was in early 1950 that my wife and I heard from our friends Howard and Roz Joel that they had bought a new home on Long Island. Hearing this with great skepticism (I couldn't believe the Joels could afford to buy a house on Long Island any more than we) we hopped into our car at the earliest opportunity and drove east on the Belt Parkway from Brooklyn, where we lived, and continued driving what seemed like an eternity to a place called Levittown which was totally unknown to me. Suffice it to say, I put the munificent sum of $10 down and bought a house which I knew I couldn't afford. And so, on July 1, 1950 we watched as the Joels moved into their sparkling new house on Meeting Lane and one month later they watched as we carried boxes of belongings into our sparkling new house on Picture Lane. We all thought we were moving to that magical place called Levittown only to discover that it was not Levittown at all but a place called Hicksville!

Since I was already well underway in the development of my career as a concert pianist and teacher, I immediately started to further my career so that I indeed could afford my new house. One day, several years later, Roz Joel called me to arrange for me to teach her son Billy and so that relationship began. I taught him to respect and understand the materials and structures of music, little suspecting that he would evolve into one of the most prominent musical personalities of our time! Time and again over the years I have been questioned, interviewed, and stared at as the teacher of Billy Joel! Of course, I have taken pride in this but I certainly don't take credit for the dazzling success he has made of himself -- that could only come from his particular genius. I wish him continued success and happiness in his achievements. Now that he is dedicating his time to classical composition perhaps he might want to present a score or two to his former teacher for a performance at my next concert thus completing a fabulous circle! More power to him in all his endeavors.