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Roaring Spring native making music dream reality

Curfman released debut song Aug. 28

By Colette Costlow 8 min read

Roaring Spring native Clint Curfman was destined for the stage.

His experience performing goes back to dance recitals at Nichole Showalter's School of Dance, acting roles in musicals at local playhouses, and home performances in his living room for loved ones.

"Music is a big part of my life, and it brings me a lot of joy," he said.

Now going by the stage name Clint Westwood, he released his debut song, "Put Your Hips Into It!" on Aug. 28, blending 1970s disco and pop. His song is available on music streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.

As someone who moved to Richmond, Virginia, to chase his pop music career, he said taking a gamble on your dreams will make you proud.

"If it's someone else's reality, there's no reason it can't be yours, too," he said.

Curfman's first performance was singing in his church's children's choir when he was only 3 years old. His mother, Diane, recorded his stage debut.

"The first moments of performing are documented, and that's cool to watch," he said.

Growing up as an only child in Roaring Spring, Curfman spent his days dancing to music his parents played at home by artists like The Carpenters, Michael Jackson and Barry Manilow.

Soon enough, dancing turned into full-blown performances in their living rooms to Disney Channel Originals, "Hannah Montana," "Camp Rock" and "High School Musical."

His performances were far from amateur, Diane said, adding that he would invite family and friends to perform in his productions

"He made costumes, sets by rearranging our house, and even outside events," she said. "He had lights, fog machines, and would make displays. Even neighborhood productions."

Curfman was born into a family of baseball players, so he naturally took up the sport as a kid. However, he didn't resonate with the sport.

"I was terrible at it," he said with a laugh. "I didn't understand it. I would go from home plate to third base."

Diane recognized his disinterest and enrolled her 7-year-old son in dance classes at Nichole

Showalter's School of Dance instead. Starting with jazz, he eventually added ballet, tap and hip hop to his area of expertise.

Teaching Curfman in class, Showalter noticed his passion for music, mentioning that he knew what he wanted, even when he was a little kid.

"You could tell it came deep down from his soul," she said.

Curfman is grateful he had the opportunity to take dance classes as a kid.

His dad told him that, "Putting me in dance classes was the best money ever spent, and I think that's a nice thing to think about."

Dance was just the beginning. Curfman was also heavily involved in community productions as a kid with Kids Cove Theater and Missoula Children's Theatre. He also participated in productions with the Altoona Community Theatre, the Cresson Lake Playhouse, P&J Productions and the Allegheny Ballet Company.

"When asked by his kindergarten teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up, Clint told her that 'he wanted to be on Broadway.' Other classmates wanted to be firemen, policemen, but not Clint," Diane said.

"My mom deserves the credit for getting me involved in other things," he said. "Sometimes, these drives are 20 to 40 minutes (away), and when I look back, there wasn't any difficulty getting me to these things or keeping me involved, and they saw how much I enjoyed it."

Dream chasing

Aside from participating in dance and community theater, Curfman attended Spring Cove School District from kindergarten to senior year.

Curfman was only able to perform in one middle school production, playing Lumiere in "Beauty and the Beast" (2015), as their high school musical program was cut due to budget reductions.

"It was nice to be involved in something with my classmates," he said.

Wishing his school had a drama department, he eventually choreographed his middle school's production of "The Little Mermaid" as a junior, something he was excited to be part of.

He went on to be the school's mascot, head of student council and class president before graduating from Central Martinsburg High School in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social Studies teacher at Central High School, Joe Logan, described Curfman as an exceptionally outgoing student.

"Count on Clint to participate," he said. "He wasn't afraid to talk."

With dreams of pursuing music full-time after high school, Curfman said many people advised him to create a backup plan.

"I knew I didn't want it (music) to be my hobby, and at that point I was like, 'I don't want to do anything but perform,'" he said.

Auditioning for Shenandoah University's vocal performance program, he packed his bags at 18 years old and moved to Winchester, Virginia. Living about two hours from home, he said it was "just far enough to branch out and see the world."

Curfman studied vocal performance at the university level, learning how to train his voice over many genres from his professors. But he didn't start writing music until his sophomore year of college.

Inspired by a recent breakup, he channeled his anger into lyrics while working with his classmate, who was a production major. They created original songs together for the remainder of his time at Shenandoah University before graduating in 2024. He was also recognized with the Cecilia Award for Vocal Excellence.

"I feel like I was able to grow so much in college and become a different version of myself," he said.

Becoming 'Westwood'

He moved to Richmond, Virginia, in fall 2024 after graduation to continue working on his art. To pay for studio sessions and writing sessions, he secured a restaurant job.

After shifts, Curfman said he'd come home and immerse himself in 1970s disco while assembling Pinterest boards for a stage persona. About a year later, Curfman met his collaborator and co-writer Danny Aghdam, a Richmond-based producer.

"I felt like I was able to talk to him, and he understood what I was going for, especially bringing in that I wanted it to be 70s, have religious references and openly express my identity as a gay man," Curfman said.

"Clint Westwood" was a joke at first, he said, mentioning that actor Clint Eastwood inspired the name. Some of his friends found the name interesting, while others hated it.

"I was like, people know this name, even if they haven't seen an Eastwood film, and there's a recognition to it," he said.

Curfman said the new name isn't a persona but more of a character, instead of writing music as the young boy from a small town.

"I can write things a little more ambitious and out of my comfort zone," he said.

Their first song was "Put Your Hips Into It," inspired by the disco group Village People and the R&B, soul and funk band Kool & The Gang. They developed the chorus first, then came the instrumentals, he said.

His next song will be released in a few months.

He hasn't performed much in Richmond because he was waiting on his final product. He's been rehearsing with his band for months, focusing on his original songs and '70s and '80s covers.

"I have ambitious goals, and I think live performance is the key to that," he said.

Showalter knows Curfman is driven by his passion for music, so she hopes he continues to work hard and pursue his passions.

"It's a hard career, so I hope he doesn't feel defeated, that he keeps going," she said.

Logan said his former student will keep working toward his dreams. He hopes Curfman isn't content with one song and strives to make more music in the future.

Logan said, "100% he was going to do this."

Catching a glimpse into her son's dreams with his debut song, Diane hopes that he continues to do what makes him the happiest.

"He can do anything he sets his mind to," she said. "So if he wants to be a star, he will be. I know he has a supportive family, friends and his Cove roots to help him succeed."

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

The Curfman file

Name: Clint Curfman

Stage name: Clint Westwood

Age: 24

Hometown: Roaring Spring

Education: Spring Cove School District (2020), bachelor's degree in voice performance and a minor in dance at Shenandoah University (2024)

Family: parents Craig and Diane Curfman

Song: "Put Your Hips Into It!"

Website: https://www.clint-westwood.com/put-your-hips-into-it

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