A former Lancaster resident credits the musical skills he learned in Western New York for landing him on national television.

Daniel Mertzlufft, who you may recognize from the Tik Tok app or his recently appearance on “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” moved to New York City from Lancaster, whose school programs he credits for fueling his love of music and theater.

He began creating content for Tik Tok during the COVID-19 shutdown last spring, but it wasn’t until Mertzlufft made a musical in a grocery store that producers asked him to create a Thanksgiving video for James Corden.

“We filmed it that day, over Zoom, the interview that airs later that evening,” he said. “I still didn’t believe it was real until I saw it on TV, even though I already did it because it’s just beyond my wildest dreams. Especially that cast, like, incredible.”

Follow Mertzlufft for more musical fun, including one based on the Disney film “Ratatouille,” here.