Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to The Vignatis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
The Vignatis, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
Tracy:
I am an Air Force brat to a career man who served as an air traffic controller. He is highly intelligent and very detail-oriented, with a super strong work ethic, who instilled discipline in me at a very young age. So, now I always set the bar high, expect results, enjoy the journey, and rely on discipline and routine to get me there. It’s that repetitive action that creates improvement, momentum, and can be a large piece of the puzzle to achieve success. My dad always said to do what others won’t do and to them in an orderly fashion. In short, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Where does your optimism come from?
Fabrice:
The goal of life is to be happy, so whatever goes against that grain is inappropriate for the course of my life. Therefore, I developed a way of thinking and approaching life that I use as a guideline and try to stick to it as soon as I wake up. There are no obstacles that cannot be overcome, and this is the fuel that is the essence of this optimism. That said, I think it’s kind of my default setting, yet I still nurture it with my Buddhist practice. No matter what, always move forward and enjoy the moment in spite of any obstacles, which are actually opportunities for growth.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
We are The Vignatis (pronounced The Vin-YACHT-teez). Our professional focus is our music and anything that encompasses it, whether it’s writing, recording, touring, etc. We created our own genre called Gypsybilly. It’s a mélange of our cultural and musical backgrounds. You can read more about it on our website https://www.thevignatis.com/ under the “About” tab.
Fabrice:
My last name is Italian, as my father is from northern Italy. I was born in France and left at the beginning of adulthood, and moved to London for 2 years to really be immersed in the English language so I could become fluent. I then moved to Belgium, yet always kept my eye on the prize of moving to America, which I did 2 years later and have been in Los Angeles ever since. Django Reinhardt (the creator of gypsy jazz) and musette are part of the French culture, so being exposed to those is part of growing up in France. I was introduced to rockabilly (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry) by my father and rock and blues by my older brother, which sparked my interest in playing the guitar. I studied classical guitar from age 8-12, then decided to put it aside for the electric guitar and began studying rock, blues, rockabilly, and later ventured into jazz, and over the years, deeply studied the mastery of Django Reinhardt. Although the guitar was a great focus, my most fulfilling and true passion is songwriting, which I started at age 13, so the guitar was the perfect, mobile accompaniment to sing the songs I wrote.
Tracy:
I was born in the Bay Area of California to a USAF career man and a mother who came from a jazz background, singing in big bands and jazz combos, so I began singing at the ripe age of 2. I started playing a toy organ at age 4, sang my first solo at my kindergarten assembly, and by age 8, I knew all of the songs my mom used to sing from the American Songbook. As most military families do, we moved around a lot, which exposed me to various cultures and areas. The last stop was in Georgia, which is where I was exposed to country music and was hired as a singer at an amusement park as a teenager. I chose to play the clarinet and joined the marching band and symphonic band from 7th-12th grades and even served as drum majorette. I continued my education with a B.A. in vocal performance studying opera, yet sang in cover bands on weekends for beer money. In the end, I chose the path of my first love, jazz. I continued this until I met Fabrice, which is where the transition began.
Tracy and Fabrice:
We are long-time practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism. We met at an SGI Buddhist community center through the organization’s musical activity of a big band. Fabrice was a co-founder of the big band and was already playing guitar in the band. Several years later, Tracy was brought in as the singer, and we hit it off, later got married, and decided to merge our cultural and musical backgrounds. We explored the fusion by writing songs and experimenting with harmonies and melodies. One evening at a Grammy event, we had the opportunity to meet with Quincy Jones and asked him the question, “What is the future of music?” Being the visionary he was, Quincy explained that barriers would be coming down and boundaries and genres would be crossing. We explained our vision to him, and he said we were on the right track. That was the confirmation stamp we needed to solidify our ideas. That was the moment Gypsybilly was conceived.
Unlike creating a physical product, creating a musical genre is a massive undertaking that runs the risk of scrutiny and criticism. There is no right or wrong answer with art, and people will always have an opinion. Also, the arts are usually viewed as optional and not necessary unless fame accompanies them, yet they are indispensable and part of daily life. Sound and rhythm are parts of the universe, from the sound of wind blowing to the pitches and rhythmic patterns of bird calls. We are independent artists with incredible seeking spirits who do not like to follow trends. We enjoy experimenting and doing things in unconventional ways, always challenging ourselves to grow. For example, we know AI isn’t going anywhere so we are consciously integrating it into different realms of our lives like with our gear, business tools, etc. yet not losing the integrity of analog and being human. We are approaching it as an assistive asset, not a replacement. It’s moving faster than we’ve seen anything move, besides our kitty chasing anything in the yard!
There are so many exciting things about what we do that are derived from our love of music, writing, recording, traveling, touring, etc. However, it first starts with love and understanding. We love, respect, and complement each other, and always cultivate our youthful spirits, including juvenile humor, so those elements feed the music in many ways. There is always the potential to impact a person’s life in a positive way through song or just our life conditions. You never know what lyric will pack a punch. In Nichiren Buddhism, we chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which is a commitment to the fundamental Buddhist principle that governs the universe, the Law of Cause and Effect. Every thought, word, and action has a simultaneous effect. Think of it as Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action (force) in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, we are conscious of our thoughts, words, and actions in life, music, and business, etc., and the fundamental aspect here is intention. This is always considered when we do music or anything else. Through our life mentors and musical mentors (e.g., Daisaku Ikeda, Socrates, Herbie Hancock, Les Brown, Ella Fitzgerald), we always feel a sense of gratitude to carry on our mission as artists through our attitude and our brand.
Our mission is to spread peace, joy, love, and hope. In order to carry out our mission, we use both musical and non-musical means. For starters, it’s our Gypsybilly genre; in addition, the children’s music album we did in the gypsy jazz style (the first one ever), and for 2026, a new album that is non-Gypsybilly. It’s a more conventional sound in the style of Americana/Roots with some left and right turns by letting the clarinet take a hiatus with more focus on keyboard sounds, along with the Gretsch taking a vacation while the blues and roots traditional guitar cousins visit, yet still drawing from our musical backgrounds. We will embark on our third tour in Japan in the fall. It’s a country that we love and apparently, they love us too. We are also working on expanding our fan base to Europe and of course, the U.S. It’s continuous work-in-progress 🙂
We also have a podcast that reflects this mission called “Rock Your Life” Show, where we discuss various life topics, not music. It is important for us to attend cultural and professional events in the community, from music conferences to Grammy member gatherings to social mixers, and always keep in mind to pass along our knowledge and experience to the youth. Being active in animal advocacy is a life-long priority in order to represent the innocent voiceless who deserve the same happiness, safety, comfort and joy just as much as a human being. We pride ourselves on being innovative and adaptive. Our look and presentation are colorful, our sound is unconventional, our lyrics are positive even when written in a minor key, and we challenge all obstacles in front of us, keeping humanism at the center. These are all important aspects of our brand. Our goal is to further expand our brand to make The Vignatis a household name that represents positivity and empowerment. We are in the business of making the impossible possible. This is the value we offer to the world.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) Buddhism is the tour guide of life; it’s a philosophy that can apply to all; it is the art of appreciation of life, being alive and the remedy of converting obstacles into opportunities; 2) musical diversity; we each have extensive knowledge and experience in various genres of music that we use and implement in our writing and performing which is a strong asset in any musical endeavor; 3) persistence is mandatory for any goal; if you don’t see results immediately, you must not ignore possibilities/opportunities and be in it for the long-game. Who always wins the race…the tortoise or the hare? The present is where we live, not the past or future. This lifetime will never repeat, so the one thing we can leave behind is our music. We persist in living in the present or “TODAY”, which is the title of the first single to be released from our new album coming this summer.
Advice for anyone who is early in starting a new journey: find what you love, what you are good at, work at it, and fight resistance with persistence. Develop the skill of discipline with a “zero tolerance” policy for certain things. Trust yourself and your gut. Your intuition is your tour guide. Surround yourself with those who will support your dream and vision. These may not be the people closest to you, like those who pass the salt at Thanksgiving, so be aware of that.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Tracy:
This is a double-edged sword. I am an inquisitive nerd by nature who did very well in academics and was primed for medical school, yet I chose music. I thrive when learning new things, although my ego has difficulty at times accepting that I won’t ace everything. There is a fine line between desire and ability. Yes, with enough effort, one can improve and absolutely should, yet may not reach the level necessary for proficiency, and could waste valuable time when working toward a goal or mission. Other things come far more naturally to me with high proficiency. For example, I run my clarinet through guitar effects via my iPad. It’s kind of complicated. Sure, I could probably have done it alone and finished by 2032 as a first pass, LOL! Fabrice did it in 4 months. On another note, who do you think is typing and checking grammar for these questions? It is better for me to do my strengths, recognize my non-strengths and have someone else do those areas where my strengths do not lie. It takes a village.
What book has played an important role in your development and what were a few of the most valuable or impactful nuggets of wisdom?
Fabrice:
Throughout my journey in America, I have had the pleasure of meeting two incredible people and mentors with whom I practice Nichiren Buddhism; the late Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. It is not actually a book, but what I call the ten Buddhist life precepts for artists. They collectively wrote “An Open Letter to the Next Generation of Artists” which you can find on Herbie’s website (https://www.herbiehancock.com/2016/12/10/). All ten of these are valuable, however, the three that continue to impact me in my development as a human being, before being a musician are from the list: 1) “First, Awaken to Your Humanity” – this is a reminder that no matter what, I am connected to every living being on this planet; 3) “Welcome the Unknown” – this is a reminder that what I still don’t know is the essence of my new opportunities and possibilities for my future; and 10) “Lastly, We Hope That You Live in a Constant State of Wonder” – this is a reminder that my imagination and inspiration are my strongest tools for the creative, humanistic, and musical facets of my life. This letter is relatable guidance for any human being and will live long after both of these musical giants have departed this lifetime, just as their music will, just as our music will.
The Vignatis Website https://www.thevignatis.com/
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/27tDworjEiRgkFZJ5f0g2j?si=6qbFzlc2S1iQ0SflNXtJOg
Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-vignatis/306252099
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thevignatis
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thevignatis/?hl=en
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thevignatis?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thevignatis
Bandcamp https://thevignatis.bandcamp.com/music
Rock Your Life Show Podcast https://www.thevignatis.com/rockyourlifeshow
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thevignatis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevignatis/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevignatis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thevignatis
- Other: Tiktok – https://www.tiktok.com/@thevignatis?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcSpotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/27tDworjEiRgkFZJ5f0g2j?si=Y4TK0lXXRXO7Ag9TTTvXDAApple Music – https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-vignatis/306252099
Bandcamp – https://thevignatis.bandcamp.com/music
Bandsintown – https://www.bandsintown.com/a/5587421-the-vignatis?came_from=253&utm_medium=web&utm_source=city_page&utm_campaign=search_bar
Rock Your Life Show Podcast – https://www.thevignatis.com/rockyourlifeshow
Image Credits
Peter Figen
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