TRAIL BLAZERS launch - with Joe Chiccarelli

On May 4, 2025, Gatos Trail proudly launched Trail Blazers®—our new Masterclass series designed to inspire and elevate. Throughout the year (and beyond), we’ll welcome A-list producers, songwriters, instrumentalists, and artists to lead immersive sessions for a select group of attendees.

The Trail Blazers Masterclass is a fully inclusive, retreat-style seminar, typically spanning 3–5 days, hosted at our studio in the heart of Joshua Tree, CA. With lodging, meals, and amenities provided, participants can focus entirely on creativity and growth. Surrounded by the serene, otherworldly beauty of Joshua Tree’s iconic landscape, our studio offers the perfect setting for an inspiring, distraction-free experience.

Joe Chiccarelli — an 11 x Grammy winner who has produced, engineered, or mixed for a diverse array of artists including Elton John, Frank Zappa, Michael Bublé, The White Stripes, The Killers, The Shins, Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, Young the Giant, Weezer, Tori Amos, and Broken Social Scene — was the inaugural ‘Trail Blazer,’ guiding a class of working producers and aspiring audio engineers.

Joe walked the class through his process of recording a song with a live band, in-studio, from pre-production to final mix. That included listening to demos, discussing arrangement changes with the band and working to develop the song to its full potential.  Joe walked the class through the technical aspects of his set up from mic placement and drum preparation to selection of microphones, amps and outboard gear. We also took a deep dive into his intricate signal routing process and his mixing techniques - in and out of the box.

In addition; attendees presented their work as Joe gave his valuable feedback – commenting on everything from the songwriting, performance, music production and mixing details.  We also reviewed sessions from Joe’s catalog while he illustrated how he processed everything from vocals to guitars. Peppered in throughout the week were stories from some the amazing sessions Joe has worked on during his illustrious career, including those with: Elton John, Frank Zappa, Morrissey, Alanis Morisette and others.

At the end we gave away swag, discounts and products from our brand sponsors (Custom House – GC, Safari Pedals and Mojave Audio) we held an informal “Certificate of Completion” ceremony complete with photos and certificates signed by Joe. We concluded the 4-day retreat with a wrap party where everyone got to relax, enjoy food, beverages, reflect on the workshop and decompress in an otherworldly desert environment.

It was an amazing week with many new friends made and a bond that we all now share and cherish as we continue to blaze our own trail!! Cheers to the first class of Trail Blazers –