Musique, Recherche et Politique: One of the principal preoccupations of the collective Paalabres is the concern with the role of the artist in today’s global (or eminently localized) society, which is perforce political in nature. With the emphasis on practices rather than on the result (the works of art), the political characteristics of the interactions between participants cannot be avoided: especially the issues of access to artistic practices, to hierarchies, to participation in a democratic process, to the degree of self-determination of groups, etc. What is at stake is not to develop the communication of political postures, or to consider to overturning existing structures, but rather to be aware of the political and social nature of artistic acts. In this text Karine Hahn and Nicolas Sidoroff basically describe Karine’s research on musical practices in French rural contexts, and Nicolas’ work on popular education and its possible applications to musical practices. Some illustrative vignettes, more or less lengthy, more or less anecdotal, accompany the main text, bringing some elements of reason/resonance.