The Story of the Songbirds
The Songbirds is a part of CTA and serves as an outreach organization to the broader community. The group was formed in 1994 and is comprised of ladies who volunteer their time to bringing joy to the senior community in public facilities, retirement homes, and health-care facilities through their vocal music performances. Our goal is to show our seniors that we care, give them a feeling of self-worth, importance and respect. We bring a little of the outside world to them and we have found that even the most forgetful seniors will remember their favorite song and sing along with us!
Our Musical Director is Dwight Okamura, a pianist and composer well known in the Bay Area and nationwide. We have both Spring and Holiday Programs and perform in as many as 30 venues. Thanks to Dwight, our Holiday music includes selections representing a variety of religious traditions.
The Songbirds are a dynamic and unusual group of singers. We travel around the Bay Area to perform for our seniors. Our many venues include Aquatic Park, Town and Country Club, Towers, Sequoias, Edgewood for Children, Laguna Honda, Kororo, Western Park and Eastern Park, The Granada, Institute for Aging, Swindells Center, Francisca Club, Coventry Park, Century Club and St. Francis Church. We have also sung at Calvary Presbyterian Church, Glide Memorial, Metropolitan Club, Laurel Heights Convalescent and California Convalescent. In Marin County we have sung at The Tamalpais, Smith Ranch Healthcare, Kindred Healthcare, Marin Village and many more. We also sing at private parties and special events.
All money we raise goes toward supporting the CTA play productions. We suggest a donation of $200-250 for each performance, but we never turn down a worthy institution if they can’t donate. Members of the Songbirds not only donate their time but individually cover most of the incidental expenses.
Musical Director Dwight Okamura
Dwight Okamura has been the orchestral pianist for the Berkeley Symphony, the California Symphony, the Skywalker Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. He has accompanied various Bay Area vocal ensembles including Chanticleer, the Bracebridge singers, The Choral Arts Society, The Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, The San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Dwight has composed numerous commissioned works, as well as many commissioned arrangements for the Girls Chorus, of which Sakura is published by Alliance Music. He is also the composer of three musicals: Grow Up, produced in 1984 by the New Conservatory Children’s Theatre; Strikers, produced in 1995 by Doublemask Productions; and Burning Louise, currently in workshop stage. Dwight is also a keyboardist with the Best of Broadway series, and has played for the pre-Broadway premiers of Mamma Mia, Wicked, The Mambo Kings, Lestat and Legally Blonde, in addition to The Lion King, Altar Boyz, Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands, and the revival of A Chorus Line, where he also played on the cast recording. When not in the pit, he is active as a recital and cabaret pianist, playing for performers ranging from Frederica Von Stade to Bruce Vilanch.
For scheduling or more information, please contact us!