In English schools, many responsibilities have been delegated downwards to "middle level leaders". National standards for subject leadership assume that middle leadership skills are generic and the literature largely agrees with this view. This article presents data from the first pilot enquiry within ARTSLAMP (Arts Leadership and Management in Schools Project), launched by the authors in summer 2003, which challenges this assumption and suggests that there may be differences in skills required for leading and managing different subjects. It draws on interviews with four subject leaders of music in secondary schools. Participants were asked about their roles and responsibilities, professional development and perceptions of the requirements of their jobs, specifically focusing on subject specialism. They identified several ways in which they perceived their leadership and management roles to be uniquely linked to their specialist subject. (Contains 2 tables.)