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Welcome to Intermezzo from Interlochen Public Radio, where we take a few minutes to bounce some ideas around about classical music.
This week we'll explore how you can feel hygge. Yesterday we cuddled up with our stuffed animals — feeling hygge from a hug. And today get hygge from a mug — one that's full of steamy hot cocoa.
The warmth, the aroma, and creamy smooth texture of hot cocoa create mood-lifting brain chemistry. Let's count the big words that explain it: cocoa contains theobromine and polyphenols, which boost relaxing serotonin and happy endorphins.
Because it's handed to us piping hot, we're encouraged to slow down to drink it, and because it smells so lucious, it can draw a crowd, leading to storytime and connections with other people, which releases the binding hormone oxytocin in the brain. What's not to like?
You can read more about the psychological effects of hot chocolate here.
Maxine Goulet - Symphonic Chocolates: "Mint Chocolate"
Richard Strauss - "Schlagoberswalzer"
This week's Mystery Melody
It's time to test your ears. Each week we have a mystery melody that we have to figure out together. It relates to our topic. (We'll make the melody less mysterious each day.)
If you know the mystery melody, text your name and the title and we’ll give you a shout out on Friday. The number to text is (833) 490-4718.
