This paper takes as its starting point the absence of an understanding of the features of good inclusion and the acceptable consequences for the students and their families. The paper steps outside of the conventional framework of schooling and reports on a series of interviews with eight young people and adults who participate in a group which plays Scottish fiddle music. The participants, some of whom have learning difficulties, were asked to talk about their experiences of playing and their involvement with the group in practice and performance sessions. The participants' accounts of their playing portrayed inclusion and participation as dynamic processes. The analysis of the findings considers what can be learnt about inclusion from outside conventional frameworks of schooling. We argue that the understandings gained about the processes of inclusion and participation from the perspective of those experiencing it in fiddle music can help identify ways in which schools might make inclusion work in practice.