STAFF

Director of Music

Mr. Boccali has served as a music educator for Ventura Unified School District since 1998.  He took on the position of Director of Music at Cabrillo Middle School in 2002, when he moved from his previous position of Assistant Director at Anacapa Middle School.  Mr. Boccali holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from San Diego State University, and a Masters of Education from California Lutheran University.  He is a member of the California Band Directors Association (CBDA), California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ), California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the Southern California Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA).  In addition to his tenure as director of music at Cabrillo Middle School, he also served as the music director of the Ojai Community Band in Ojai, retiring from the position in 2016 after serving as director of the band for almost twenty years.  

In his time away from school, he enjoys spending time with his wife Stacey and their two sons, and is a member of a popular Ventura County music group, Blue Latitude.  Mr. Boccali is also involved with his family’s businesses including a citrus ranch, two Italian restaurants and a winery.

Assistant Director of Music

Ben Miller is an emerging wind musician, music educator, and clinician in the LA area. As a native of Oakdale, California, Miller began playing the saxophone at age 10. Some of his prominent teachers have been renowned musicians such as Zac Zinger of the 8 Bit Big Band, Connor Baba of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Kevin J. Stewart, Vincent Trombetta III, and Richard Merrick. Miller graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in music education and applied performance. It was during this time, he also completed his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. 

As a performer, Miller has performed live on ESPN as a featured soloist, premiered new compositions by Stewart Copland of The Police, N. Lincoln Hanks, Clayton Daniel Briggs, and Joshua Altrock. In 2022, he was named the winner of the Thomas Osborne Concerto Competition. During his studies at Pepperdine University, he was the principal alto saxophonist for the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Symphony Orchestra, as well as a member of the contemporary music group, the Pickford Ensemble.