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What comes to mind when you hear Gainesville, Florida? Is it the University of Florida, summer heat or nature trails? All valid answers.  But if you think that’s all Gainesville has to offer, you’d be very wrong. To me, Gainesville and good music go hand-in-hand. And at the end of last month, MusicGNV put that truth on center stage — or should I say, stages?

Valentine’s Day is here, and excitement over candy grams, heart-patterned merchandise and picture-perfect picnics is simmering for both the singles and the taken. But do you ever stop to wonder why a baby armed with arrows is the holiday mascot? Or why the mere thought of Feb. 14 conjures the chalky taste of conversation hearts? It all comes down to just one thing — or rather, two letters: PR.

I still think about a song we learned in my high-school English class. None of us spoke French, but we still spent an entire period analyzing “Papaoutai.” We discussed the song’s emotion, its rhythm and its visuals, and somehow we all understood it. That experience stuck with me because it proved something simple but important: you don’t need to understand every lyric to connect with music.