The JeKits program (“Jedem Kind Instrumente, Tanzen, Singen”) is Germany’s largest initiative for cultural and musical participation in primary schools. It seeks to provide equitable access to music and dance education for all children, regardless of social or cultural background. Within this context, the AnmuT research project (Anbahnung musik- und tanzkultureller Teilhabe, 2024-2026) investigates how processes of participation, inclusion, and professionalization are enacted and experienced in practice.The study employs a multi-perspective qualitative design guided by Grounded Theory Methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1996) and Situational Analysis (Clarke, 2012). It includes group and individual interviews with children at different stages of their JeKits participation, following the same cohort from Grade 1 to Grades 2-3. Alternative interview formats - such as “thought caves” and child-to-child interviews - draw on recent insights from childhood studies (Butschi & Hedderich, 2021; Schierbaum et al., 2024) to support children in articulating their experiences in self-directed ways. In addition, individual interviews and group discussions are conducted with JeKits teachers and classroom teachers, complemented by communicative validation sessions. Across these strands, findings are triangulated to develop an integrative understanding of how meanings of participation and professionalism emerge in the daily realities of school music and dance education.The present paper focuses on the strand addressing teachers’ perspectives, drawing on individual interviews to explore how educators interpret and negotiate the “fit” between children, families, and institutional expectations within JeKits. The analysis highlights how teachers’ constructions of difference and suitability shape inclusion and participation in pedagogical practice. Teachers articulate nuanced expectations toward families - regarding parental support, continuity, or cultural familiarity - that influence their perceptions of children’s engagement. Ideas about learning disposition, motivation, and talent often intertwine with social assumptions, creating subtle hierarchies of perceived capability and belonging. Within these dynamics, educators seek ways to reconcile policy ideals of equal access with classroom realities, by reframing participation, adjusting pedagogical goals, and engaging in collegial reflection.The findings underscore the role of teachers as mediators between institutional frameworks and the lived diversity of their pupils. They point to the importance of professional learning that fosters critical reflection on assumptions about families, learning, and difference - an essential step toward building bridges for all in school-based music education.