About Us
You may have yet to meet us, hear us sing or know the engaging goodwill our audiences feel as we entertain, educate, and sing.
Let us introduce ourselves: We are the Shifty Sailors. We all hail from Whidbey Island – famed and framed in Puget Sound, just northwest of Seattle, Washington, USA, and southwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Thirty years ago, a music teacher on an island knew if you put a story to music, the message would be retained. Preserving maritime history, heritage, events, and lessons of Puget Sound, our country, and the world would be why this group was “launched” – to do just that – singing the rich songs of old and new.
But it would take hold not only in our concerts, but also in the many awareness–building and fund-raising performances we have done for Maritime Museums, music programs, and charitable organizations in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, Oregon, Hawaii, British Columbia, and Washington State. We also found our way to stages in Europe – the Baltic Sea Countries, France, Prague, the British Isles, and Ireland.
Initially, some audiences we encountered were, at best, stand-offish and reserved. Smiles in lots of these countries were hard to come by. But by the end of our formal concerts or informal street and pub singing, we were always thanked with ear-to-ear smiles, cheering, and clapping.
We knew we were ambassadors of goodwill. We just didn’t realize how music seems to bring peoples in the world together.
The Shifty Sailors for 30 years have worked to preserve this heritage of sailing ships, folklore, and songs of the sea. We hope you find yourself living that experience, tapping your feet, and even singing or humming along with us. It will let the stories live on and our wish will be accomplished.
Thank You!