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 mindset on environmental responsibility. The duo, known as Filkins Drift, have performed nearly 50 gigs during their 60-day journey, which concludes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. They have discovered the minimal equipment needed for their performances, each carrying a 15kg bag with their instruments and essential gear.

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)

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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.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the main goal of Chris Roberts and Seth Bye’s 870-mile walking tour around Wales?
2. How many gigs have the musicians performed during their 60-day journey?
3. What is the name of the duo formed by Chris Roberts and Seth Bye?
4. Which charity are the musicians raising money for, and who does it help?
5. How have Chris and Seth adapted to the challenges of their journey, such as the weather and finding venues?
6. What inspired the musicians to rethink their approach to touring?
7. How have the people they’ve encountered contributed to their journey?
8. What environmental message are the musicians hoping to promote through their walking tour?
Go to answers ⇩

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 (1)______ on environmental responsibility. The duo, (2)______ as (3)______ Drift, have performed nearly 50 gigs during their 60-day journey, which concludes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. They have discovered the (4)______ equipment needed for their performances, each carrying a 15kg bag with their instruments and essential gear.

Starting their walk in Flintshire, the (5)______ have traveled through (6)______ counties, including Gwynedd, Ceredigion, (7)______, Swansea, and Bridgend. The (8)______ 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 (9)______ 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, (10)______ and Seth have been fortunate with the weather. They have adapted to the challenges, including finding venues every 15 (11)______ and dealing with waterproofing strategies for their bags. The musicians have been (12)______ 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 (13)______ 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 (14)______ impact of constant car travel. The musicians hope their journey will inspire (15)______ to consider more (16)______ approaches to touring and promote the idea of responsible and eco-friendly travel within the music industry.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

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

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. musicians
2. Wales
3. sustainable
4. journey
5. performance
6. transportation
7. storms
8. hospitality

Meanings:
(a) A display of music or acting for an audience
(b) Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
(c) The action of moving people or goods from one place to another
(d) The act of traveling from one place to another
(e) Country in the southwest of Great Britain
(f) Disturbances in the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain
(g) Two individuals who play instruments
(h) Friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main purpose of Chris Roberts and Seth Bye’s walking tour?
(a) To break a world record for the longest walking tour
(b) To raise money for their own personal gain
(c) To promote sustainable touring and challenge the music industry’s mindset on environmental responsibility
(d) To see how many gigs they can perform in 60 days

2. How many gigs have Chris and Seth performed during their 60-day walking tour?
(a) Over 100
(b) Less than 20
(c) Exactly 60
(d) Nearly 50

3. Which of the following counties have Chris and Seth traveled through on their walking tour?
(a) Essex, Yorkshire, Kent, Sussex, and Surrey
(b) Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, and Bridgend
(c) Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, and Hampshire
(d) Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, and Cheshire

4. What charity have Chris and Seth been raising money for during their walking tour?
(a) Red Cross
(b) Oxfam
(c) UNICEF
(d) Live Music Now

5. How have Chris and Seth adapted to the challenges they have faced during their journey?
(a) Finding venues every 15 miles and waterproofing their bags
(b) Giving up on their journey and returning home
(c) Ignoring the challenges and continuing as if nothing happened
(d) Renting a car to drive between venues

6. What have Chris and Seth been overwhelmed by during their journey?
(a) The support and hospitality they have received from people offering their homes for accommodation
(b) The number of gigs they have performed
(c) The amount of money they have raised for charity
(d) The physical demands of their journey

7. What inspired Chris and Seth to bring live music to communities and venues that do not often have access to such performances?
(a) A desire to become famous
(b) A need to escape the music industry
(c) Old Bardic traditions
(d) A love for walking long distances

8. What was the main reason behind the idea of the walking tour?
(a) To break a world record for the longest walking tour
(b) To find a better way to tour, avoiding the environmental impact of constant car travel
(c) To prove that walking is better than driving
(d) To see how many people they could inspire to walk with them

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. 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.
2. Two musicians, Chris Roberts and Seth Bye, have completed an 870-mile walking tour around Wales, carrying their instruments on their backs.
3. They have not discovered the minimal equipment needed for their performances, each carrying a 15kg bag with their instruments and essential gear.
4. The musicians have not traveled through various counties in Wales, including Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, and Bridgend.
5. They have not been raising money for a charity called Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals.
6. The duo, known as Filkins Drift, have performed nearly 50 gigs during their 60-day journey, which concludes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire.
7. Despite not encountering two named storms during their journey, Chris and Seth have been fortunate with the weather.
8. 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.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the primary goal Chris Roberts and Seth Bye hope to achieve through their 870-mile walking tour around Wales?
2. How many gigs have the duo known as Filkins Drift performed during their 60-day journey?
3. What charity are Chris Roberts and Seth Bye raising money for, and who does it benefit?
4. How have the musicians adapted to the challenges they faced, such as weather conditions and the need for waterproofing their gear?
5. What has been the response of the communities and individuals the musicians have encountered during their sustainable touring initiative?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the main goal of Chris Roberts and Seth Bye’s 870-mile walking tour around Wales?
The main goal of their walking tour is to promote sustainable touring and challenge the music industry’s mindset on environmental responsibility.

2. How many gigs have the musicians performed during their 60-day journey?
They have performed nearly 50 gigs during their journey.

3. What is the name of the duo formed by Chris Roberts and Seth Bye?
The duo is known as Filkins Drift.

4. Which charity are the musicians raising money for, and who does it help?
The musicians are raising money for Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals.

5. How have Chris and Seth adapted to the challenges of their journey, such as the weather and finding venues?
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.

6. What inspired the musicians to rethink their approach to touring?
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.

7. How have the people they’ve encountered contributed to their journey?
The people they’ve encountered have contributed by offering support, hospitality, and accommodations in their homes.

8. What environmental message are the musicians hoping to promote through their walking tour?
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.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) mindset
(2) known
(3) Filkins
(4) minimal
(5) musicians
(6) various
(7) Pembrokeshire
(8) journey
(9) charity
(10) Chris
(11) miles
(12) overwhelmed
(13) avoid
(14) environmental
(15) others
(16) sustainable
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. musicians
Answer: (g) Two individuals who play instruments

2. Wales
Answer: (e) Country in the southwest of Great Britain

3. sustainable
Answer: (b) Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level

4. journey
Answer: (d) The act of traveling from one place to another

5. performance
Answer: (a) A display of music or acting for an audience

6. transportation
Answer: (c) The action of moving people or goods from one place to another

7. storms
Answer: (f) Disturbances in the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain

8. hospitality
Answer: (h) Friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the main purpose of Chris Roberts and Seth Bye’s walking tour?
Answer: (c) To promote sustainable touring and challenge the music industry’s mindset on environmental responsibility

2. How many gigs have Chris and Seth performed during their 60-day walking tour?
Answer: (d) Nearly 50

3. Which of the following counties have Chris and Seth traveled through on their walking tour?
Answer: (b) Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, and Bridgend

4. What charity have Chris and Seth been raising money for during their walking tour?
Answer: (d) Live Music Now

5. How have Chris and Seth adapted to the challenges they have faced during their journey?
Answer: (a) Finding venues every 15 miles and waterproofing their bags

6. What have Chris and Seth been overwhelmed by during their journey?
Answer: (a) The support and hospitality they have received from people offering their homes for accommodation

7. What inspired Chris and Seth to bring live music to communities and venues that do not often have access to such performances?
Answer: (c) Old Bardic traditions

8. What was the main reason behind the idea of the walking tour?
Answer: (b) To find a better way to tour, avoiding the environmental impact of constant car travel
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. 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. (Answer: True)
2. Two musicians, Chris Roberts and Seth Bye, have completed an 870-mile walking tour around Wales, carrying their instruments on their backs. (Answer: True)
3. They have not discovered the minimal equipment needed for their performances, each carrying a 15kg bag with their instruments and essential gear. (Answer: False)
4. The musicians have not traveled through various counties in Wales, including Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, and Bridgend. (Answer: False)
5. They have not been raising money for a charity called Live Music Now, which brings music to people in care homes, special needs schools, and hospitals. (Answer: False)
6. The duo, known as Filkins Drift, have performed nearly 50 gigs during their 60-day journey, which concludes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. (Answer: True)
7. Despite not encountering two named storms during their journey, Chris and Seth have been fortunate with the weather. (Answer: False)
8. 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. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧