1. How long did you teach and what subjects did you teach?
I retired last year in 2020. I taught for almost 40 years!
I first started teaching in Deva, Romania on September 15, 1981 at a music and arts school. I taught violin one-on-one, string orchestra, and chamber music. After a few years, I started to teach viola and a little bit of contrabass.
In 1996, I came to Canada. I taught private lessons and volunteered at schools.
When I started at Martingrove in 2000, I taught one string class, one vocal class, career studies, and geography. It was difficult because I had a language barrier - I was fluent in French but not English. Then, every year I reduced the number of career studies, and geography classes I taught and grew the string program.
2. What was your favourite part about teaching these subject(s)?
I loved playing and performing. In my interview for the TDSB, I was asked what I want to do in 5 years. I said, “I want to create one of the best string programs in Etobicoke.” I accomplished that by creating the string program at Martingrove.
Strings is my life, so I always preferred teaching Strings, but I also really liked teaching Beginner’s Band. I really liked the sound of the instruments and the students were very funny. Band was always interesting.
I think the best part overall was going on the music trip every other year and performing at the end.
3. Do you have a memory that stands out to you from teaching outside of school?
Before working at Martingrove, I had 42 private students. My last student was 62 years old. She asked me if I could teach her to play carols in three months for her 90-year-old mother. When she played, her mom was very pleased and sang along. It was very nice.
4. How long have you been playing the violin?
I started playing the violin at four and a half.
Mr. Stoica (right) playing the violin at his first in-school concert in senior kindergarten.
This is a picture from my first performance. I didn’t have a stand. The person standing in front of me was one of my colleagues. They were supposed to be the same height as me but I was short.
Mr. Stoica (right) dancing in a play in senior kindergarten.
This was my first play as a senior kindergartener. Was I a good dancer?
Mr. Stoica playing the violin in grade 2.
This was one of my first public performances.
5. Who is your favourite composer?
Oh, Bach of course. I love Bach. If you listen carefully to everything he’s writing - whether it’s for orchestra, cello, violin - there’s always at least one inner melody. No one believed in him while he was alive. He only became famous after he died. He was teaching people how to extract three or four melodies at once.
I also like Beethoven because he changed every single style. He recreated music and opened the door for romantic composers.
6. What’s your favourite memory from your time at MCI?
The best was when we won best of class in a competition against Cardinal Carter - an arts school where all the music students take private lessons. We were invited to perform on the same stage where Tafelmusik, the baroque orchestra, performs. That was fantastic.
Also, all the concerts were fantastic moments for me, as well as being with students in class.
It doesn’t matter what happened, when I went into the string room and closed the door, it was a different life for me, like I was Aquaman in water.
7. What is your favourite memory from when you were a high school student?
The last three months of high school were my favourite.
There were 40 students in our graduating year. We were like a family. Every weekend in the last month of our final year, my classmates and I went to each teacher’s house and sang ‘Gaudeamus’ in front of their house to thank them, a tradition in East Europe.
At prom, we invited all our teachers. At midnight, the orchestra conductor, one of my favorite teachers, opened the door. He came with four cases of beer. He opened the door and said, “Starting right now, you are not students, you are adults. You should share a glass with us [teachers] and call us by our first names.” It was like he was saying ‘Hey, you’re not kids anymore. Time to go.’ *
* The legal drinking age in Romania at the time was 16.
8. What do you miss the most about teaching at MCI?
Being, playing, and performing with students.
I miss the string class, orchestra, concerts, and festivals. Also, helping students who don’t know how to do something. That I’ll miss a lot.
I’ll also miss the chamber ensembles and quartets. They kept me young!
9. What have you enjoyed in your first year of retirement?
I have a piano in my basement and I’ve been writing the piano part of some pieces on my computer. I’ve also been arranging Romanian dances for a string quartet, composing a symphony for strings, practicing violin, and reading. Also, since my wife is still working from home, I decided to help her. I’ve been cooking every single day. Now I’m pretty good!
I’ve also been planting tomatoes and I have lots of roses in my backyard.
10. Any final words of advice for MCI students?
First of all, I’d like to congratulate all graduating students for finishing this terrible year. You did amazing work this one and a half years. Working online on a computer - it’s not human. It’s a great accomplishment. I wish you luck.
To my strings students, I hope you will remember all the advice I gave you to enjoy life and play. Join a community orchestra and play - you don’t have to be good, just play. Be in touch with your instrument. Teach your kids a little bit of music.
Take care in university. Don’t party too much because it will take your brain out of what it needs to do. Don’t study too much because you’ll go crazy.
Share what you do with us teachers because we will be proud. And…
A photo of Mr. Stoica’s Star Wars figures - they move!
… may the force be with you in university and life!
Image Source: All images are from Mr. Stoica.