The Chapter presents cross-cultural aspects of music lessons as a result of an international exploratory study and two music lessons from different countries illustrating some of the cross-cultural aspects. They make double meaning evident and bring up the hypothesis on interferences between musical and educational practices in classrooms.

Excerpts from classroom interaction in video recorded music lessons is analysed for dialogical structure and evidenced degree of shared topics. Each single turn is analysed according to agent, modality and function. It is suggested, that this analytical approach can be used both for comparative studies and as a means for teachers to improve their teaching.

The chapter starts systematically clarifying the meaning of comparing and then steps into the field addressing systematic problems of comparative research in music education historically and theoretically. Picking up an idea of Bray & Thomas, finally the field of comparative music education is sketched in the form of a cube.

Es besteht Einigkeit darüber, dass über „die Wahrheit“ im Allgemeinen und in der Musikpädagogik im Besonderen keine Einigkeit besteht. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt der Text das Verhältnis zwischen einer nationalen Sprache (Deutsch) und Englisch als Lingua Franca in der Wissenschaft allgemein, der Musikwissenschaft und der Musikpädagogik dar. Der Text schließt mit dem Bedarf an Kommunikation und der Skizzierung einiger „Bojen“ zur Verständigung in internationaler Musikpädagogik. / Realizing the common sense of having no common sense about the truth, the article presents the relation between a national language (German) and English as lingua franca in international practices of science in general, musicology and music pedagogy. It concludes with the need of communication and some buoys of understanding in international music education.

Es besteht Einigkeit darüber, dass über „die Wahrheit“ im Allgemeinen und in der Musikpädagogik im Besonderen keine Einigkeit besteht. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt der Text das Verhältnis zwischen einer nationalen Sprache (Deutsch) und Englisch als Lingua Franca in der Wissenschaft allgemein, der Musikwissenschaft und der Musikpädagogik dar. Der Text schließt mit dem Bedarf an Kommunikation und der Skizzierung einiger „Bojen“ zur Verständigung in internationaler Musikpädagogik. / Realizing the common sense of having no common sense about the truth, the article presents the relation between a national language (German) and English as lingua franca in international practices of science in general, musicology and music pedagogy. It concludes with the need of communication and some buoys of understanding in international music education.

In this chapter, enacted possibilities for learning in a Scottish and a Swedish music lesson are analysed and compared with the intended learning outcomes as defined in the Swedish national curriculum. The Scotland-Lesson proves to place more emphasis on music's auditive aspects while the Sweden-Lesson focuses playing as individual manual skills.

This summary connects parts of nearly every chapter of the book with a thick brush regarding normative constellations. Comparing the constellations shows both, how practices within lessons are normatively connected with practices in other social fields, and that there are fractures that show a need for further research. In conclusion I sketch a model for comparative praxial music education.

Video-recorded music lessons (on multi angle DVDs) were used to inspire and improve understanding among experts from different cultures and discourses of music education. To make the process manageable and focused we developed the Analytical Short Film (2-3 minutes) to address particular areas of interest and starting points for debate. We asked selected music teachers from seven nation-states to allow a typical and (in their opinion) good lesson to be recorded. We also asked the students and their parents for permission. At a symposium, national experts and researchers presented views on „their“ lessons through Analytical Short Films. Discussion included implicit and explicit comparisons. The presenters also used a lesson from one of the other countries to stimulate discussion about assumptions in and challenges to their own views. We documented all comparisons made and compared these to derive cross cultural categories (tertia comparationis). These categories should be relevant for understanding what makes a music lesson „good“. The different perspectives and discussions offered by the authors in this book provide rich and diverse material for researchers, teachers and teacher educators.

The Chapter consists in two sections complementing Analytical Short Films. The first is about a supposedly universal atmosphere called RED in the Bavaria-Lesson, the second about different cultures in voice and posture coming together in the Beijing-Lesson. Both are related to theory as well as German philosophies of music education.