Whilst a rationale for the content and organisation of knowledge in a standardised curriculum may be clearly articulated at official policy level, factors may come to bear on a teacher operating at a local level which may work against the successful implementation of the curriculum on the ground. Drawing on a Bourdieuan notion of cultural field, "habitus" and cultural capital to examine commonality and difference in teacher practice in an Irish primary school context, the paper reports on a study which highlights the role played by formative experiences in shaping the responses of primary teachers to performance and music literacy.