T. Janakiraman's love for music shines bright in a new collection of his short stories published by Kalachuvadu. The book includes ten stories focused on music and the emotions it stirs. The collection opens with a preface by celebrated Carnatic vocalist Sangita Kalanidhi Sanjay Subrahmanyan, who shares insights into Janakiraman’s musical world. Janakiraman, son of a renowned Harikatha artist Thyagaraja Sastry, learned music from Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer during his youth. The music teacher Ranganna in Janakiraman's famous work Mohamul is inspired by Swaminatha Iyer. Despite this musical upbringing, Janakiraman chose a writing career over singing. Sanjay Subrahmanyan notes, “This cannot be dismissed as Janakiraman’s personal taste alone. There are many such people in my circle.” Janakiraman’s stories show his love for pure Carnatic music and a clear impatience toward other music genres and critics. For example, in the story Kottumelam, he praises the nagaswaram but resists its use with folk dance. Janakiraman’s stories do not focus on musical details but on the experience of listening. As Subrahmanyan writes, “When he describes the music he enjoyed, the literary beauty and aesthetic sensitivity offer the reader the complete experience of listening.” The collection also shows Janakiraman’s respect for women and their talents. In Rasikarum Rasikaiyum, a female admirer dismisses a musician’s praise that she out-sings Tyagaraja. Other stories touch on challenges faced by child prodigies and critiques of poor music critics. While the widely praised story Natesanna is missing, the collection remains a must-read for lovers of Carnatic music and literature. It beautifully captures music’s power to touch hearts and the delicate relationship between art and life in Janakiraman’s voice.