Starting their walk in Flintshire, the musicians have traveled through various counties, including Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, and Bridgend. The journey has led them to rethink their approach to touring, with a focus on more sustainable transportation options. Inspired by old Bardic traditions, they aimed to bring live music to communities and venues that do not often have access to such performances. They have also been raising money for a charity called Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals.
Despite encountering two named storms during their journey, Chris and Seth have been fortunate with the weather. They have adapted to the challenges, including finding venues every 15 miles and dealing with waterproofing strategies for their bags. The musicians have been overwhelmed by the support and hospitality they have received from people offering their homes for accommodation. Despite the physical demands of their journey, they have managed to avoid blisters and aches, settling into the natural rhythm of their walking and performing routine.
The walking tour idea was born out of a desire to find a better way to tour, avoiding the environmental impact of constant car travel. The musicians hope their journey will inspire others to consider more sustainable approaches to touring and promote the idea of responsible and eco-friendly travel within the music industry.
Original news source: Band walks 870 miles to complete Wales tour (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and take on the roles of a news reporter and a musician from Filkins Drift. The reporter interviews the musician about their journey, challenges faced, and the purpose behind their sustainable touring concept. Encourage the use of reported speech and advanced vocabulary related to music, environment, and travel.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a different part of the article (e.g., the start of the journey, the challenges encountered, the charity aspect, and the environmental mission). Each group will draw a sketch or comic strip representing their assigned part without words. Other groups will then interpret the sketches and describe what they see, practicing their descriptive language skills.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Write a statement related to the article on the board, such as "Musicians have a responsibility to promote environmental sustainability." Students line up according to how strongly they agree or disagree with the statement. Select individuals from different points on the spectrum to explain their position, encouraging them to use persuasive language and complex sentence structures.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students discuss in small groups what they think will happen as a result of Filkins Drift's walking tour. Will it change the music industry's approach to touring? Will other artists follow suit? How will this impact the environment? Students present their predictions to the class, using future tense and modal verbs to express possibility and probability.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of advanced vocabulary words from the article (e.g., sustainable, embark, mindset, bardic, hospitality). Divide the class into two teams. One member from each team comes to the board and is shown a word which they must illustrate. Their team must guess the word within a time limit, practicing both their vocabulary recall and their ability to describe and define words.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The main goal of their walking tour is to promote sustainable touring and challenge the music industry's mindset on environmental responsibility.
They have performed nearly 50 gigs during their journey.
The duo is known as Filkins Drift.
The musicians are raising money for Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals.
They have adapted by discovering the minimal equipment needed for their performances, carrying a 15kg bag each with their instruments and essential gear, and dealing with waterproofing strategies for their bags. They also found venues every 15 miles to perform in.
The inspiration to rethink their touring approach came from a desire to find a better, more sustainable way to tour, avoiding the environmental impact of constant car travel.
The people they've encountered have contributed by offering support, hospitality, and accommodations in their homes.
They hope to inspire others to consider more sustainable approaches to touring and promote the idea of responsible and eco-friendly travel within the music industry.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Two musicians, Chris Roberts and Seth Bye, have embarked on an extraordinary 870-mile walking tour around Wales, carrying their instruments on their backs. Their aim is to promote sustainable touring and challenge the music industry's on environmental responsibility. The duo, as Drift, have performed nearly 50 gigs during their 60-day journey, which concludes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. They have discovered the equipment needed for their performances, each carrying a 15kg bag with their instruments and essential gear. Starting their walk in Flintshire, the have traveled through counties, including Gwynedd, Ceredigion, , Swansea, and Bridgend. The has led them to rethink their approach to touring, with a focus on more sustainable transportation options. Inspired by old Bardic traditions, they aimed to bring live music to communities and venues that do not often have access to such performances. They have also been raising money for a called Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals. Despite encountering two named storms during their journey, and Seth have been fortunate with the weather. They have adapted to the challenges, including finding venues every 15 and dealing with waterproofing strategies for their bags. The musicians have been by the support and hospitality they have received from people offering their homes for accommodation. Despite the physical demands of their journey, they have managed to blisters and aches, settling into the natural rhythm of their walking and performing routine. The walking tour idea was born out of a desire to find a better way to tour, avoiding the impact of constant car travel. The musicians hope their journey will inspire to consider more approaches to touring and promote the idea of responsible and eco-friendly travel within the music industry.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your definition of sustainable touring, and do you think it's feasible for most musicians?
2. How would you feel if you were to undertake a similar challenge in your field of work or interest?
3. Do you like the idea of traveling long distances for your profession without relying on modern transportation? Why or why not?
4. Do you think the music industry has a significant environmental impact, and if so, in what ways?
5. Have you ever participated in or supported a cause by doing something out of the ordinary, like walking 870 miles?
6. What are some creative ways you can think of to reduce one's carbon footprint while pursuing a career in the arts?
7. How important do you think it is for public figures and artists to promote environmental responsibility?
8. What is your opinion on the role of charity in the arts, such as the one Filkins Drift supported, Live Music Now?
9. Can you share a personal experience where you felt overwhelmed by the support and hospitality of strangers?
10. Do you believe that adopting old traditions, like the Bardic traditions mentioned, can be beneficial in modern times? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the challenge of performing with minimal equipment would affect an artist's creativity and performance?
12. What are some of the biggest challenges you think artists face when trying to adopt more eco-friendly practices?
13. Do you think initiatives like the one taken by Filkins Drift could change the public's expectations and demands from the music industry?
14. In your opinion, how does the physicality of an endeavor, such as walking 870 miles, contribute to the overall message or cause of a project?
15. Have you ever had to adapt to extreme weather conditions in your life or work, and how did that experience shape your perspective on planning and preparedness?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Words
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π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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