Lof en kritiek bereikt ons eigenlijk voornamelijk via YouTube. Het is wel haast zeker zo dat je nooit zo goed bent als dat je vrienden zeggen dat je bent, en ook nooit zo beroerd bent als dat je vijanden beweren. Belangrijk is dat je gemotiveerd bent én blijft om het het beste uit jezelf te halen. Dan is de impact van de goed of afkeuring van anderen, voor je, nagenoeg ondergeschikt.

De meeste kritiek die via YouTube binnen komt is Spaans talig. Het is bijna begrijpelijk dat je met een filmpje, ook nog eens gemaakt door iemand die niet met hun muziek en cultuur is opgegroeid, en per definitie slechts héél sumier een onderwerp kan toelichten, hen een gevoel kan geven, dat je ze te kort doet.

Dat allemaal gezegd hebbende is het gewoon toch te leuk om hier niet eens de mooiste woorden te herhalen, die we hebben toegezonden gekregen. Beginnend met eentje die ik bijzonder koester:

Het 60-jarig huwelijk van mijn ouders was een geweldige dag. Leukste onderdeel de percussie workshop. Echt fantastisch hoe jij met zo'n groep om kunt gaan. Jij haalt het beste in de mens naar boven en laat iedereen in zijn waarde. Compliment......

You are AMAZING!!!! Your presence is beautiful, the tone in your voice is very pleasant, and your clarity and communication is exemplary. I am brand new to percussion, and you have inspired me to explore beyond the surface!!! Absolute health, to you........

I'm very impressed with your works, congratulations. Keep on!...

Hey Johan, both your playing and teaching are wonderful. Thanks for your exercises. ........

nice channel! good work and nice artist! bless!....

You are a great teacher. Thank you.....

I thank you ,ever since I have been watching your videos, I have more passion for the djembe and the congas, and more understanding for the patterns...

Beautiful channel. Thanks for being on youtube:):).....

Cool percussion channel, Johan! Thank you and cheers from Buenos Aires, Argentina.....

You are a great teacher. Thank you.....

Great channel. Came here by chance, but fantastic to see different artistic expression. Seraphin is amazing. Arigatou for sharing......

Geweldig zoals jullie dat doen, met plezier naar gekeken maar dat geld eigenlijk voor al de video's op dit kanaal.....

Your work is awesome and you look like a very nice guy ... best from south america.....

I follow all your videos -- thanks for teaching me so much about rhythm....

You broke it down so meticulously, and I want to thank you for making me use my brain a bit, rather than to trying to smash a para-diddle together without thinking of what I was doing. I have been drumming for a while now, and I just recently got into playing the djembe. After just playing the para-diddle on my djembe for 5 minutes, I can already notice a difference in my dexterity! Thank you so much!...

You have inspired both me and my son to learn the congas. Your methods are clear and they lead to solid fundamental rhythms that can easily be varied and built on. Thanks so much for these videos......

Awesome Video! Thanks for the explanation.....Greetings from Florida....

This video is one example of what I love about you and what separates you from other "youtube instructors". Your way of sharing the energy behind the playing is most valuable. Drumming, much like dancing, is all about movement and you brought the movement of the "simple" paradiddle for the hand drummer to life. Bless you. I can readily see how this will help my playing.....

Hey grrreat stuff! I love your playing and approach! .....

Hi Mr. Aben! I just wanted to say that this video is fantastic, the vocal+clave performance of the girl is just great. Now I am a percussion teacher myself and I would like to know what song she sings. Could you tell me the lyrics maybe or where you found them, please? My 10-year-old pupils at school would surely appreciate singing this song too. By the way you do seem to have a percussion school that is extraordinary...

You are doing some amazing things in your school. You are gifted and I am envious of those who are fortunate to have you as their teacher......

Beautiful!!! I have no other words to describe this!....

soooo very cool! its great to see.... all the way from Puerto Rico lots of love!...

Increible el trabajo que tienen con los niños. No cualquiera puede tocar la clave y cantar al mismo tiempo. Felicitaciones desde Guatemala ......

Alright! A nice little Dutch kid who can play clave and sing. O.k. its K-3, but she's lekker gewoon in de maat. I teach middelbare school muziek in Amstelveen, and most of my students can't keep the clave going. Further, I have to defend the clave because the Dutch students denigrate the clave as only being two sticks. Nevermind that they can't play those two sticks properly.

I will use this video to help those big kids to better appreciate Latin rhythms. It may be exactly what's needed....

Excellent video! Renee is very talented and a fine example of singing "en clave"!....

Uitstekend! Bedankt.....

A million thanks to you and Renee for making this beautiful and informative video......Wow you are really wonderful. Very gracious with your time for sharing these videos!....

I'm tapping along with you on my computer desk! No time to grab the drums so beat what you got handy. I don't understand the words but I understand this great groove. I like this video very much. This allows all of us beatniks to get involved with drumming. I applaud your efforts, my friend....

bedankt man, erg duidelijk, nu snap ik het!....

Awesome! Love your videos and Renee plays Clave perfectly. Thanks!.....

Hello Johanaben, perfekt explaination and demonstration! Your students can be happy to have such a teacher :-) greetings from the south-east of germany.....

superrrrrrr<!!!!!!!!!! genial! nice way to show the rythm , accent , sincopation !!! and so importnt ! the voice counting! you´re teacher ?, for sure.......

This video is the best way to understand the basics of guaguanco... REALLY GREAT. Thanks MR. JOHANABEN....

Hi thanks for that very usefull and clear, also like the sound of dutch language...

A very well done video from this Dutch guy. Better than a lot of latin players......

thank you for upload . Finaly I can understand this melody.....

This video really, really helped me a lot to understand this rhythm. Thanks.....

i love the way you broke it down. thank you....

Thank you very much for this teaching. I found it quite easy to undersrtand ,even though practising it took me weeks. Anyway my Netherlands is much better now. Trank you so much!

grande.......un abrazo pelao..!...

nice and humble..they way it should be....

nova, you are my role-model ! your talent is absolutely outstanding ...and, you certainly have a great teacher in mister johan ...blessings to both of you......

Oh man, this super-simple video is SO much more helpful than those with so-called "experts" explaining all kinds of stuff. I've taken two lessons and am still workin my way through the form, tones and rhythym -- this video and technique are going to be very very helpful....

this is one of the best way to learn in my eyes....

For some reason, this video's sound quality is much better than other ones. Thanks for sharing!......

It' s incredible how is not necessary to speak the same language to understan you teaching. THANKS!!! You are so great.....

I love your work, I'm sorry i live in sicily ...sigh...

Thank you for posting Johanaben! Really great and easy to understand!! Love your technique and the sub-titles and chart!! Keep it coming!!!!!!!!......

This is absolutely amazing. I'll be showing everyone....

Wow , this is wonderful :).......

Geweldig om te zien!

....It looks amazing. I'm sure it was spectacular based on everything else I've seen you do....

great music , thanks johan......

dude, you're so cool. thank you for spreading the beauty of the conga drum to Holland and the rest of the world for that matter.

This is so cool you guys, thanks for sharing. I'm hearing some nice stuff going on here :)

Wow! amazing tutorial. I am trying to learn the congas, and this visual real time display of the notation while watching/hearing you play was very helpful - even though a different instrument. I am assuming you are a teacher. If not, you should be!

holy crap this is useful. i have listened to many recordings that switch between the 12/8 and 4/4 with the rumba clave, but couldnt quite comprehend it. this is great. kudos!

VERY<VERY<VERY INFORMATIVE ! The way teaching SHOULD BE !!!!!! E KU SE !(GREAT JOB !)

Immer gute sound und schöne atmosphäre Johanaben! Like!

I LOVE IT !!! This girl is giving a great lesson to all of us. I sent many shares on Facebook and more, just to let African kids see(and listen) what I am teaching about rumba. I am from the Congo and went several times to Cuba to learn about rumba. It is so hard to play and sing at the same time, even for some ''profesionals''. Big ups to this angel of rumba !!!...Dank u !!!

Deze reactie kwam op een filmpje van Renee en mij samen, en ging recht naar mijn hart:    “How awesome that must be to share that kind of relationship with her, and her with you. You both are very fortunate.”

very well done I might say!!! keep up the good works........even though I cant understand the language...your heart makes up for it...

Wonderful! Up there with the best videos on playing shekere I've seen on Youtube. Thanks for sharing this!

Amazing technique. I wish I had a percussion set like yours! incredible!

Your page in facebook, and your youtube profile are amazing. I am from Brasil, and I wish I could go to Netherlands and visit the school. Greetings from Brasil!

I can't get enough of this. Well play'd sir!

Hey! Keep practicing Johan. You've almost got it. Just kidding. I've heard that rift before and your continuity, control and unbroken communication of syncopation front to back are magnificent. I'll be working on it. Thanks. DMB

Ever Fantastic!

Great production! It's obvious much time, effort and creativity went into this show. I enjoyed the show even though Dutch is not my language. You, Eufrika and everyone involved are to be congratulated for a job well done

Tjonge, ik zat er net zo in als de kinderen zelf, moet je nagaan als je er live bij zit! Schitterende kennismaking met percussie en waar het vandaan komt. Met alle respect voor Séraphin, vind ik dé verhalen verteller en dé percussionist toch écht Johan Aben zélf!! Wat kun jij boeiend vertellen en wat een prachtige mimiek heb je! SUPER!

EXCELENT..!!! Same as you made ever..!!! Excelente.. Felicitaciones..!!!

En natuurlijk ben ik trots op de reactie’s die Richard Bona (“Good job on the JamMan”) en Chuck Silverman (“Beautifully done”) op mijn Jamman 12/8 Podcast gaven (de volledige versie, notabene).

Arthur Lijten, een top musicus en creatieve geest die de mooiste dingen kan verzinnen én in staat is om ze zelf feilloos uit te voeren, schreef onderstaande (te) mooie woorden op zijn site. Te mooi, omdat ik denk dat het gewoon het gelukkige lot was dat deze man mijn pad ooit heeft mogen kruisen. Passie en talent (én werklust en doorzettings-vermogen) zat en zit in hem en is op geen enkele manier mijn verdienste.

Maar te mooi ook, om niet trots te zijn dat een man van zijn kaliber zoiets op zijn site zet. Dank Arthur ! (Rechts op de foto, met links Rinus Raaijmakers)

De eindhovense multipercussionist/slagwerker Johan Aben was mijn eerste leraar op drums, en een groot inspirator. Hij wilde eerst weten of ik wel een geschikte leerling was, en er echt voor ging en mijn best zou doen. Het resulteerde in een reeks geweldige lessen, waarin ik vooral passie heb meegekregen. Tot op de dag van vandaag neem ik het mee. Dank Johan!

Meer weten over, en zien/horen van hem? Check de heerlijke site van zijn percussieschool: http://www.percussieschool.nl/ (Geluid aan!)

Mooi uitgelegd!!...

Sounds GREAT my man!......

One of the best youtube-teachers!! do you offer a percussion workshop this year??....