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VICE Fashion - Music Teachers

Music teacher chic.

Photographer: Jason Nocito

Stylist: Avena Gallagher

Yuko Yamamoto, 26

: "I've been playing for 14 years and teaching for 4. Once I taught at this place in Japan that had me teach in English to students who only spoke Japanese. So I was teaching them English and music and a combination of those things."

Top by United Colors of Benetton, skirt by Club Monaco, pants by H&M, sandals by Alexandre Hercovitch

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Sim Cain

, 42: "I've been playing drums for 36 years and teaching on and off for the past 10. I've played with the Rollins Band, Marc Ribot, Hubert Sumlin, Gone, Elliot Sharp, David Poe, John Zorn, J. Geils' and with my own band Hand Job. Out of my first three students, one was crazy, one committed suicide, and one was deaf. My first serious band, called Regressive Aid, was an instrumental rhythm-based band. We were very popular with the deaf community in Trenton, NJ. We even played there at the school for the deaf's senior prom."

T-Shirt by Calvin Klein, grey suit model's own, shoes by Clarks, sunglasses by Valentino

Aleksandra Vojcic, 33

: "I've been teaching at Juilliard for 12 years. Everybody learns differently and it is my job to figure out how to bring the best out of each of them. I've played at Steinway Hall, the MoMA, Belgrade Philharmonic, Kosciusko Foundation, Alice Tully Hall, and am a member of D'Divaz. One of my students once wrote a paper about me being her favorite teacher. One of my highlights, according to her, was that I wore very stylish clothing, especially boots. I guess if I wore sweatpants she would have quit playing the piano!"

Cardigan by J. Lo, skirt by H&M, boots model's own

Andy Cotton, 34

: "I've been playing music for more than 20 years and teaching for 10. I teach music theory, upright and electric bass technique, and some jazz. I've played with the Greenhouse, the Nieces and Nephews, Carrie Rodriguez and Kristin Andreassen, and Old Dutch. The funny thing about teaching is that I always learn more from my students then they do from me, those suckers."

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Sweatshirt by Champion, jeans by Levi's. shoes by Puma

Paul Vercesi, 43

: "I've been playing for 34 years and teaching for 5. I've done everything from Broadway to Bad Brains."

Sweatshirt by Nike, shirt by Banana Republic, pants by Carhartt, sneakers by Y's Yohji Yamamoto

Katy Rose Cox, 30

: "I've been playing violin and fiddle since I was 4 and teaching since I was 16. I teach very young kids, 5 to 8 years old. Sometimes, if the kids are really crazy, I have to give them 15 seconds of ‘freak out' time, after which they have to focus, and that generally works."

Black mesh top by Jeremy Scott, shirt by Olga Kapustina, boots by Frye, hat model's own

Robert Gary, 44

: "I've been playing music since I was three. I was a full-time painter for a long time, and the same kind of artistic principles I used for painting I apply to music. I teach Ed Burns guitar (and do the music for his films), so I try to get him to understand that what he knows about acting and filmmaking he can apply to playing guitar."

Cardigan by A.P.C., jeans by Wrangler

Melissa Cross, 48

: "I've been singing since I was three, and teaching for 16 years. I was in bunch of punk bands in the late 70s and 80s, and opened for all kinds of great people like Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and X. I had purple hair and was a junkie. I'm a classically trained singer, but I threw my technique out the window and just screamed my guts out to be more ‘real.' My teaching style now is based on bridging that gap between ‘good' technique and ‘real' technique".

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Jacket by United Bamboo, T-shirt by American Apparel, jeans by Lucky

Dave Sewelson, 52

: "I play baritone saxophone and have been teaching it for 30 years. I once had a student take me to Barbados for intensive lessons for two months. He fed me rice and beans and we got our picture on the cover of a local travel magazine."

Suit by Brooks Brothers, vest model's own, shoes by Tretorn, curtains by Martha Stewart