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Brendan Kavanagh and his ‘Chinese Incident’
Tolerance and self-respect will never hurt you
First of all, I should say that I know Brendan Kavanagh. Brendan (also known as “Dr. K”) is a British pianist, piano teacher and YouTuber. And I have to admit, he is a real YouTube star. How he became a YouTube star is another story. I think it’s because of his talent. Brandon has more than 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube and he is also active on other social media like Facebook and Instagram.
So why do I know Brandon? Because I live five minutes from St Pancras Station in London where Brendon often plays the public piano. I’ve met him there many times playing piano for tourists and commuters. I love his music, his style and his technique. He creates an inspiring atmosphere and I believe makes life better for hundreds of people for the short time they wait for their train to Paris or Amsterdam.
St Pancras Station is a unique place in London and a great example of a successful renovation of an old train station turned into a popular public space. People often come there specifically to listen to music, take videos of musicians playing or sit at the piano themselves. I can only add that Brandon plays a piano gifted by Elton John himself.
Yes, that’s right, Sir Elton John gave a mesmerizing piano performance at St Pancras Station eight years ago, in February 2016, leaving behind a signed Yamaha piano.
Playing this famous instrument Brandon has long been a recognizable icon of St Pancras. But what happened a few days ago really shocked me.
Last week Brendan Kavanagh had a confrontation with people claiming to be associated with “Chinese TV.” The subsequent dispute over the use of their images and video has led to an international crash course in how privacy laws work around the world. St. Pancras became the epicenter of a major “international” scandal, mostly involving a clash of cultures.
