Carnatic music lessons

There are many sites with Carnatic lessons. I find this one to have an excellent coverage of foundational materials.

http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/personal/music/varnams/index.html

With materials like this and a local music teacher as a coach, students anywhere can set sail into the world of music.

Speaking of music, here is an excellent analysis of Ilayaraja's contributions to popularizing Carnatic music in films.

http://www.s-anand.net/blog/category/classical-ilayaraja/