We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cornelius Versa. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cornelius below.

Hi Cornelius, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

This one I’m working on today, as Cornelius Versa, the Americana singer-songwriter. I spent a lot of years training in Musical Theatre and Opera. I needed that training to hone my craft and learn my voice. But after the pandemic, it became clear it was time to get back to my roots in country music. It’s intimidating to pursue a career without the support than comes with a troup, an opera house, but I’m finding it’s more meaningful. I get to apply everything I’ve learned about my voice and music to tell the stories I feel need to be told.

Cornelius, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

If you want to get to know me, you have to hear me sing. My voice is the foundation of who I am and if you listen today, you’ll hear a queer Americana singer-songwriter experimenting with nostalgic sounds and vivid lyrics.

Right now, I’m most proud of being able to create music as an independent artist because it allows me to be involved in every aspect of the process. This hands-on approach also gives me the chance to form relationships with other creatives and collaborate across industries to produce larger, more impactful works. That moment when our unique skillsets and perspectives weave together brings me immense joy. I see each collaboration as a chance to learn, grow, and explore sounds and ideas I might not have found on my own.

For me, music is a journey. It’s about constantly expanding boundaries and finding new ways to express the things that move me. My goal is always to create a community and I want my music to be a place of comfort, curiosity, and celebration.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think we often forget that everyone we encounter in life is capable of immense creativity. So often it’s stifled by the realities of the context in which we live day to day. We’re stressed about work, money, relationships, jobs, and rarely to we acknowledge our need for creative release. Everything we touch and see and consume was conceptualized and originated by another human being. My hope is that society in general can learn how to be a bit more kind to folks who have chosen to make their living in the creative field.

I would love to see the end to the defunding of art and music programs in our nation’s schools. When I heard my elementary school and middle school had gotten rid of their music programs my heart immediately sunk. I was not a “normal” student academically and without music I wouldn’t have found my path in this world.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I love this question because it gets to the heart of my creative process. I walk a fine line between letting things flow naturally and staying meticulously organized. Since going full-time as a singer, I’ve learned that the work never ends; the to-do list is always growing. But what’s surprising is how much of the job—about 95% of it—is invisible to the public. For every 90-second performance, there are hours upon hours of rehearsals, vocal training, and refining each detail. When I price my time or try to explain my day-to-day to friends, I find it’s hard to convey that so much of my work lives behind the scenes.

Still, I believe this tension is what makes the creative process dynamic. It’s what breathes life into each performance, shaping my music in ways I can’t fully control but always try to capture.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.corneliusversa.com
• Instagram: corneliusversa
• Twitter: corneliusversa
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@corneliusversa?si=aPbs-dCqX8fSDSWy
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2mBPEFLKEIQ5X3pJYiIlAj?si=M2vjM7ZRQn2xOFNQcQvm6g
  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cornelius-versa/1692846686

Image Credits

Karolina Bryner
Normandy Europa