To what extent do you think the music we love shapes who we are?

A natural way to answer

To a fair extent, I'd argue. Music often reflects our values and the groups we belong to, but it also actively shapes them. The bands you follow can introduce you to ideas and communities that genuinely influence who you become.

Key phrases to use

• rubs off on — when a quality or influence gradually affects someone close to it“Her enthusiasm rubs off on the whole team.”
• mirror held up to — something that reflects and reveals the true nature of something“Great art is a mirror held up to society.”