Our Story
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The Founders
Together, Veena Vaani’s Founders combine traditional training spanning three generations, practical teaching experience, and modern organizational capabilities to create resources that celebrate the past while serving the present and future of Carnatic music education.
Meera Raghu
Meera Raghu represents the second generation in a distinguished musical lineage, having received comprehensive training in Carnatic music from her mother and Guru, Viduṣi Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan. Growing up immersed in the classical tradition, she began learning Veena and Vocal music from early childhood, developing both performance skills and a deep understanding of music theory.
Her training encompasses not only the practical aspects of music but also the critical skill of transcribing and notating music. Beyond her musical training, Meera holds a master’s degree in Physics and is an experienced software professional.
As co-founder of Veena Vaani, Meera’s vision is to preserve and propagate authentic Carnatic music resources while adapting to the needs of contemporary learners who seek practical and comprehensive resources for their musical journey.
Rashmi Duraisamy
Rashmi Duraisamy is a dedicated Carnatic musician who received rigorous training from her grandmother and Guru, Viduṣi Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan, and continued learning under her mother, Meera Raghu.
In addition to her musical training, Rashmi holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Stanford University. She brings an academic perspective rooted in science and engineering to her musical work, allowing her to create resources that are practical and effective.
Rashmi is committed to sharing the rich technical and aesthetic knowledge of Carnatic music with all sincere learners.
Through Veena Vaani, she works to ensure that the teaching methods and materials that proved effective in her own learning journey are available to the broader community of music students and teachers.
Our Guru
Viduṣi Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan (1937–2017)
Our guru, Veena Viduṣi Smt. Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan,mother to author Meera Raghu and grandmother to author Rashmi Duraisamy,was an extraordinary musician whose influence continues to resonate through her students and the countless lives she touched through her art. Born in Mysore into a culturally rich family, she developed a deep fascination with the Veena from early childhood and dedicated her life to mastering this ancient instrument and the classical tradition it represents.
Rajalakshmi began her formal training at age seven under the revered Vainika Pravīṇa Sri V. Veṅkatagiriyappa, who was an Asthāna Vidwan of Mysore Palace, and belonged to the distinguished Veena Śēṣaṇṇa pāni or tradition. She continued under Professor R. N. Doreswamy and later Professor R. Viśwēśwaran during her graduate studies at Mysore University. Her advanced training under the legendary Violin Maestro Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman further refined her Veena rendering techniques. This exceptional lineage connects our learning directly to the great masters of Carnatic music.
What made our Guru remarkable was not only her technical mastery but also her pedagogical brilliance. She possessed a rare gift for breaking down complex musical concepts into understandable components while never compromising on authenticity. Her approach emphasized understanding the structure of music— the nuances of rāga, the precision of tāla, and the importance of gamakas in bringing music to life. She believed that proper notations were essential teaching tools and invested tremendous effort in creating accurate, detailed notations that students could rely on.
Beyond her role as teacher, Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan was a distinguished performer, acclaimed musicologist, author, and academic who served as Chairperson of the Department of Performing Arts at Bangalore University. She was an ‘A-Top’ Grade artist with All India Radio—the first woman instrumentalist from Karnataka to achieve this distinction. Her numerous awards, including the prestigious Rājyōthsava Award and Nijaguna Purandara Award, both presented by the Government of Karnataka, as well as titles such asKarnataka Kalā Śree, Gānakala Bhūṣaṇa and many others, testify to her contributions. Her published works on music theory and notation compilations continue to serve students and teachers.
She taught students to listen deeply—not just to hear the notes, but to understand their relationships, patterns, and purpose. Under her guidance, we learned to transcribe music by ear, to recognize subtle variations in pitch and rhythm, and to appreciate both the artistic and scientific dimensions of Carnatic music.
Most importantly, she was a patient, dedicated teacher who believed in each student’s potential. Her insistence on excellence, coupled with her warmth and encouragement, created an environment where musical and personal growth flourished naturally. The notations in this book seek to embody the principles she instilled, such as clarity, accuracy, respect for tradition, and accessibility for learners.