Mannarkoil Sri.  J.  Balaji is a disciple of Tanjore Shri.R Ramadoss and Ramanathapuram Shri.M N Kandaswamy. Started learning at the age of 11, he has been regularly featured in the Music Season Concerts since 1984 without a break. He has performed widely in India and abroad and accompanying various artistes of repute. He has travelled to many countries like USA, Canada, Hongkong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South  Africa, Estonia (Russia), Germany, France, England, Australia and Newzealand. He has a wide experience in concert playing having accompanied leading artistes in over 3500 concert appearances.
He has won numerous prizes and awards during his long tenure. (to view, click Green Plus available in Awards & Title box table)

He has conducted lectures and workshops all over the world and to name a few a two day workshop on mridangam playing at the Music School at Durban, South Africa, a 15 day workshop on mridangam playing at the SAC, Leeds, England, Workshop for School Children at Music Forum Trust, Chennai. He has also given many lectures on Tala aspects on many occasions for various organizations. In November 2012, he gave a lecture demonstration on How to make Simple rhythmic Patterns at the Swathi Thirunal Music College, Trivandrum. May 2013,  He gave a demonstration on "LAYAM" at Coimbatore in front of an august audience. He gave a talk on 'Math and Rhythm' at NITK SURATHKAL as part of ENGITALKS 2014. Conducted a lecdem on "Laya-Nayam Aesthetics of Carnatic Rhythm" for an august audience at Arkay Convention Centre, Chennai under the aegis of akarnatic Music Forum. He gave a lecture on "Mridangam -Then and now" to trace the history of Mridangam as instrument fromvedic times till now, at the NCPA, Mumbai.

in January 2017. Recently he has been included as a Visiting Faculty at the Madras Music Academy Teachers College to handle sessions on Layam for the students. Academically brilliant J.Balaji, holds an M.A. degree in English Literature and an M.A. degree in Hindi Literature besides holding Diploma in Computer Applications, a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. He is also a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers having completed both the parts of CAIIB. He has registered for Doctorate Degree with Sastra University Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, India. He is also the founder of Youth Association for Classical Music. He is an A grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan.
His articles have been published by various Internationally acclaimed Journals and Magazines like Rupkatha Journal, Shanmuga Magazine and Sruti Magazines.

Recently Balaji has been associated with an exclusive and intensive inhouse music retreat called "Sameeksha" at Kotagiri Hills, to demystify various aspects of tala and laya in Carnatic Music.