Dr. Tara Rajendran

17/05/2026

https://sempre.org.uk/awards/success-story/strengthening-research-capacity-to-develop-randomized-controlled-trials-on-local-musicbased-interventions-in-tanzania/
So grateful and honored to receive the SEMPRE ‘Making a Difference’ Award, by the Society for Education and Music Psychology Research, United Kingdom, for strengthening Research Capacity to Develop Randomized Controlled Trials on Local Music-Based Interventions in Tanzania

"Building on the work I have undertaken since 2019 through my Oncology and Strings lecture–concert advocacy program to strengthen local music-based intervention (MBI) research capacity, this programme in Tanzania, Africa reaffirmed a global commitment to patient-centred care. Because music is closely tied to autobiographical memory and emotional impact, interventions must be personalised—what comforts one patient may distress another. Developing MBIs rooted in local soundscapes is therefore essential to patient-tailored care. The SEMPRE ‘Making a Difference’ Award directly supported this endeavour, and I remain sincerely grateful to SEMPRE"

15/05/2026

Growing up, I was deeply intrigued by ancient India. I could spend hours gazing at and admiring paintings of India (Eg: William Simpson’s depictions of Banaras to Hiroshi Yoshida’s Agra). This fascination led me to reading ‘Art of India (1526–1858)' recently, which opened a window into the dreamy Mughal art history. The vibrant colours and sheer opulence inspired my imagination.

A collateral memory 💭: When I was 14, I was fascinated by Princess Jahanara after briefly reading about her somewhere, and I channelled that restless curiosity into writing historical-fiction “letters.” I would imagine an India glimpsed through a window lattice, a world suspended between history and fantasy. I wished to time-travel to that era, at least for a day (Not as a woman, though, because that would be tough, so maybe as a bird. Parrots will be caged, so maybe as an eagle perhaps🦅). If I could paint, I would have tried to capture it all on canvas. But I can’t paint/draw to save my life. Yet I love colours so intensely that I keep buying watercolours just because they make me happy. When I feel low, I shake my unicorn pen filled with blue-purple-pink glitter water, or play with my transparent LED sensory water ball. My emotional-support stuff. Colours make life infinitely happy!

Recently, I spent a few hours at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Delhi, and it was meditative. Learning about the distinct styles of different schools of Indian art was deeply enriching; from Gaganendranath Tagore to Raja Ravi Varma, from Jamini Roy to Ramkinkar Baij and K. C. S. Paniker. Each artist with a unique visual language and the way they used colour, brushstrokes, patterns, composition, and light to tell stories made me think of the diverse repertoire of Indian art history.

Another collateral memory💭: We studied Ravi Varma’s paintings as part of our Malayalam curriculum in school. I still remember printing out Raja Ravi Varma paintings for a project, and years later, my uncle unexpectedly handed me the remaining prints while clearing out his desk!

Among all the works I saw, my absolute favourite was Thomas Daniell’s painting of Banaras. It almost felt cinematic; if I stood closer, I could almost listen to the splash of oars against the Ganga, the chatter of locals, and feel the soft, cool breeze. An equally favourite experience was the miniature paintings🔎! Especially Prof. Bireshwar Sen’s! Photography was not allowed inside the gallery, so I made notes of everything that captivated me. I’m sharing here a few paintings I loved, screenshots taken from the official website.

13/05/2026

My poetry ‘Inheritance of Light’ published in Cambridge University Press‘s ‘Palliative and Supportive Care’

13/05/2026

Degree conferred by the Governor of the state (Tamil Nadu), R.N. Ravi

11/05/2026

I can't believe it took me so long to watch this gem! 'Almost poetic'! Beautiful screenplay and dialogues! The frames were dreamy!

🎬 Love & Romantic Bollywood Movie | LOOTERA Full Movie Hindi HD | Ranveer Singh | Sonakshi Sinha | Vikrant Massey ► Synopsis:In 1953, Pakhi, an aristocrat's...

09/05/2026

Main character energy🌻🩵✨

06/05/2026

"Dr. Tara Rajendran, MBBS, Ph.D., MFA, presents a captivating classical South Indian Saraswati Veena recital in the Raga (musical mode) Amritavarshini (‘the shower of nectar’), an evocative melodic framework long associated with rain.

The performance opens with a graceful elaboration of the raga, introducing the distinct gait. This leads into the meditative and nuanced ‘Taana’, a dynamic rhythmic–melodic improvisatory passage in which the Raga is explored through inventive permutations across notes and strings with controlled transitions in pace and rhythm. The recital then proceeds to the composition “Sudhamayi Sudhanidhe”, in Sanskrit by Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, set in Rupaka tala. The ‘Kriti’ praises the Goddess ‘Vijayambika’. And it includes a brief ‘Niraval,’ where a chosen phrase becomes the ground for imaginative improvisations within the framework of the composition.

Dr. Rajendran began her traditional Veena training at the age of seven and was a disciple of Venkitachalam Balakrishnan Potty (Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, 2002), himself a disciple of the legendary Sangita Kalanidhi K. S. Narayanaswamy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Veena, and a Ph.D. in Music from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, and is a member of the GRAMMY U. Dr. Tara Rajendran, MBBS, PhD, MFA, is a doctor, researcher, author, and South Indian classical Saraswati Veena musician. Through “Oncology & Strings”, the first physician-led music-based intervention advocacy program, she aims to integrate evidence-based music interventions into medicine through research, clinician mentorship; she also provides pro-bono Veena concerts for cancer patients. Dr. Tara has received research grants including ICMR-STS and the Manipal University research grant, and awards including the SEMPRE “Making a Difference” Award for research outreach work in Africa and the Arnold Bentley New Initiative Award for music-psychology research." https://youtu.be/XKK1cMUKWno?si=tSn_LZ7hIWeD8htO

Dr. Tara Rajendran, MBBS, Ph.D., MFA, presents a captivating classical South Indian Saraswati Veena recital in the Raga (musical mode) Amritavarshini (‘the s...

17/04/2026

Please donate to support baby Pari! I have donated. Kindly support. https://www.karmafoundation.ngo/AnimalProfile.aspx?Fkeyanimal=23458&utm_medium=FebAccount&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&utm_content=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&fbclid=PAZnRzaARPR5BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAac42GPannZTfu6tgNQY1VmvpTot9_KWQHMMv9XUWRexW6PxGrBhuJqGyObuaA_aem_EWzUa_XHTKYaLr_CoMSzIQ

17/04/2026

I have donated. Kindly support Baby Kanhaiya🐕! https://www.karmafoundation.ngo/AnimalProfile.aspx?Fkeyanimal=23461&fbclid=PAZnRzaARPR21leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacOvnG7gywziut78e4Pimwsg9v6cfEX-k2IpEh2vz4-99I1MPShqHis9AFwpw_aem_wOWSGtNHcFr9I2PKeCNdNg