Site Information
This is my website. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Perhaps I should show you around.
Navigation
At present, this site has four main divisions, each with its own purpose and structure. There are links to the top level of those structures in the upper-right-hand corner of each page, and links to important pages within those structures in the left sidebar of each page. In no particular order, we have:
About
Some pages are devoted to helpful information. Information about Nathan Curtis -- that's me! -- Tortoiseshell Music -- that's my publishing alias! -- and tortoiseshellmusic.com -- that's here! That's probably not what you're here for, though if you're reading this page, then I guess you are here for that, at least partially. Also, if you want to know what motivates me as a composer, you might be interested in checking out aspects of my compositional philosophy; check back periodically as I add mini-essays on different facets of my musical personality.
Works
I'm a composer. I compose things. I put these things up on the internet for you to enjoy. It would be a shame, then, for you to pass them by. If you want to see my whole body of work at once, you can take a look here. If you want to browse around a bit more, I have helpfully grouped my various and sundry compositions by instrumentation and genre. These will lead you to pages for individual pieces, which usually include some remarks about each piece, as well as score and/or recording samples. I hope to eventually have pages up for all my compositions, including my current projects, so keep an eye out for new additions.
Blog
These days, a website just wouldn't be complete without a blog. You can find mine here. I will be writing about a wide range of topics, both musical and mundane. If your interests are not exactly the same as mine, it may be useful to know that I have divided my blog into several categories. Some of the major categories are listed on the left sidebar, but you can find a full listing of sub-blogs here. So, if you like hearing me go on about my favorite non-musical obsession -- puzzles -- but couldn't care less about what I have to say about music, then you can easily find all the posts you want, with few distractions. But would it kill you to at least try reading about music? You might like it! Hopefully, I shouldn't need to point out that the sub-blogs are not mutually exclusive, but I just did anyway. Also, if you came to the Tortoiseshell party a bit late, you can browse through the blog archives to catch up.
Store
I would be quite remiss in my duties if I failed to point out the most important part of the site: the part that makes me money! At least in theory. Over at my store you can purchase the things that I have made for you! At present, I only have sheet music available for sale, but at some point I will have recordings available as well. For now, you can browse through my offerings over here. Alternately, you can browse through my list of works at a more leisurely pace, and when you find a piece that interests you, you can follow a link to the product listings for that piece in the store.
Credits
This website was entirely created using Drupal, an open-source content management software package. If you are able to find your way around this site without difficulty, thank Drupal. If you do have difficulty, blame me. In addition to the core package of Drupal, I have made extensive use of several contributed modules. Most notably, my online store is powered by Pathauto, Token, and Views.
