Ensemble-based popular music education is often framed as a democratic and inclusive practice, grounded in ideals of autonomy, collaboration, and authenticity. However, this raises questions about who experiences it as inclusive. This paper draws on ethnographic research with nine electric guitar and bass students in the music program in Norwegian upper secondary schools to explore how unmarked categories—such as whiteness, neurotypicality, and middle-class norms—shape participation in ways that often go unnoticed. The paper asks: What can analysis of unmarked categories tell us about normative behavior in ensemble-based popular music education? Previous research in similar contexts has shown considerable student homogeneity regarding categories such as class and cultural background (Bull, 2019; Jordhus-Lier et al., 2021), which underscores the need to examine inclusion beyond visible markers of diversity.The analysis builds on previous publications that examined learning across contexts (Author, 2024), gender diversity (Author, 2025a), and deep learning (Author, 2025b). While those papers focused on visible identity markers and collaborative music-making, the present paper turns attention to unmarked categories to discuss what is perceived as normative behavior within the music program.Participants were recruited to ensure gender diversity (girls, boys, and non-binary individuals) and instrument homogeneity (electric guitar and bass). This focus, however, de-emphasized other identity dimensions such as class, cultural belonging, and neurodiversity. The analysis examines how these unmarked categories influence who feels recognized, competent, and included.Drawing on intersectionality theory (Cho et al., 2013) and performativity theory (Barad, 2007; Butler, 1990/2006), the paper argues that inclusion in music education must be understood through the norms that structure what counts as legitimate participation. Such norms are not neutral: they afford “performative possibilities” (Butler, 1990/2006, p. 180) for some students while constraining others. For instance, familiarity with jazz conventions or comfort in loosely organized rehearsals may appear natural, yet they privilege certain dispositions and backgrounds.By extending the concept of performative possibilities beyond gender, the paper shows how ensemble practices can reproduce social hierarchies even as they aspire to foster collaboration. True inclusion requires more than surface-level diversity; it demands critical engagement with how unmarked categories act as gatekeepers of belonging. This perspective complicates celebratory narratives of popular music education as inherently democratic and invites pedagogies that reconfigure the conditions under which students are afforded space to learn, express, and experiment.