Last week, students enrolled in the Jubilee College of Music's "Introduction to Music" course spent the day at the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, located on the San Jose State University campus.

The trip was led by JCM Professor Dr. Don Fugate, instructor for the course.

Dr. Fugate gave students a guided tour and spoke about one of the most important figures in Western music history.  Students browsed collections of Beethoven's original manuscripts, documents, and music.  The center also contained numerous books and papers written about the composer's life and music.

One student shared, "It's great to get away from the books and classroom and get a real hands-on experience with the material that we're studying. These kind of activities add another dimension to studying, which I find to be very helpful."

Opened in 1983, the Ira F Brilliant Center is the only institution in North America devoted solely to the life, works, and accomplishments of Ludwig van Beethoven.