I had ok-ok teachers of Carnatic music and, as you all mention, was "forced" to learn singing and dancing for a while. I then started learning to play the Veena, but stopped it in time for my X standard "preparation".
My interest in carnatic music deepened only after coming to Singapore and being fortunate enough to have Gayatri the disciple of Veena Balachander to teach me. She taught me the intricate systamatic arrangement of ragaas as well as playing the veena not with the notes but following the way the keethanas are sung. Very eye opening. Of course, loved the maths that was so intricately a part of Carnatic music. I heard people are nowadays learning carnatic music online through teachers who are teaching them through the voice chat, sitting in Chennai and students who reside in the US.
