Music is a discipline with several special features that distinguish music from other subject areas in higher education. Until recently, the European dimension of the Higher Music Education sector was limited, with low levels of participation in European cooperation schemes and a lack of expertise on important European developments in higher education, such as the Bologna Process. With the aim to address this situation, music entered the ERASMUS Network system as an individual discipline for the first time in 2004 with the ‘Polifonia’ Network. This second cycle of ‘Polifonia’ builds on many successful outcomes of the first period, but also explores new issues in the following 3 strands: 1. The ‘EHEA’ Strand will see activities that aim at the implementation, monitoring and further development of tools and approaches in relation to recognition, comparability and quality assurance, such as the use of subject-specific competences for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd study cycles based on the ‘Tuning’ methodology, an assessment of the current use of ECTS and the Diploma Supplement, and the implementation and further development of a unique European-level subject-specific approach to quality assurance and accreditation. 2. The ‘Lisbon’ Strand will see activities addressing issues related to the ‘Education & Training 2010’ Agenda of the Lisbon Strategy, such as improving institutional governance through the continuing professional development of management staff in higher music education institutions, strengthening links to the music profession through an active participation of representative professional organisations, studying benefits a closer synergy between education and culture would bring to the development of creative skills as a transferable skill in the wider employment market and to social cohesion in society at large, and addressing issues on access to higher music education. 3. The ‘Research’ Strand will study the role of research in higher music education and its contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. Results of institutional research activities will be collected and disseminated, and used for continuing professional development activities for teachers and professors in higher music education institutions. ‘Polifonia’ will have a strong impact on the music sector in Europe through a busy programme of activities, such as working group meetings, site visits by ‘Tuning counsellors’ and evaluation experts, seminars and conference presentations. Information and publications printed as well as on-line, will be disseminated to a wide range of target groups with the assistance of several European-level representative organisations.