Rob Slosberg is “just a dad trying to live the midlife crisis dream.”
This being Westport, many midlife crises are eased with a sports car or trophy wife.
Slosberg — a lifelong Westporter and 1982 Staples High School grad — took a different route.
“It’s a bit surreal releasing a first album at my age,” he says. (He’s 52.) “When I tell people about it, they sort of tilt their head at me and say, ‘why?” Or they ask, “seriously, what’s your real job?”
Growing up in Westport — and just starting his career in advertising — Slosberg only dabbled in music. But then his 2 sons were born. He picked up his guitar, and played for and with them.
By the time Justin was 11 — and drumming with School of Rock — Slosberg joined him in a band.
Justin Slosberg
At 14, Justin tried guitar. Pretty quickly, he was better than his dad.
Slosberg tells people that Justin got too cool to play with his father. Actually, Slosberg admits, his son was too talented.
That’s not the old man blowing smoke. Justin was recently accepted into Berklee College of Music.
So Slosberg started another band. Miss Suzy’s Opus was a regular on the Bobby Q’s roof.
Slosberg began writing original tunes. But he was hesitant to play them publicly. “People want to dance. They don’t want to hear some guy’s new song,” he says. “I completely get that.”
Rob Slosberg
Then one of his sons got very sick. Today Slosberg tells people, “‘we went through a traumatic medical event.’ I usually don’t talk about it much more than that, because it hurts my heart to talk about it. It was a dark time.”
Suddenly, there was nothing more important in his life than writing more songs and getting an album finished. Slosberg was on a mission.
It took a year, on and off, in the studio. He kept it secret from almost everyone.
“I didn’t want any negative energy,” he explains. “I only played the songs for my girlfriend. She’s obligated to love them.”
In real life, Slosberg is a creative director at a New York advertising firm. The album — “Private Moon” — is being released under the name Rob Morton.
That’s his middle name. He’s not hiding anything — he just wants his artist and ad lives to be separate.
Slosberg’s favorite track is “Just One More Day With You.” It’s fun and upbeat, but with a tinge of sadness.
There’s also a tribute to his boys. It’s called “I Was Supposed to be Your Hero.”
It’s a great song. And the title is a lot better than “I Was Supposed to be an Advertising Guy, Until This Midlife Crisis Hit.”
(“Private Moon” is available on iTunes and other music sites.)
