Aging with Grace and Purpose

What does it mean to keep growing, contributing, and connecting after retirement?In this episode of Aging with Grace and Purpose, we meet Alice Trimmer, whose life has been shaped by music, education, leadership, and a deep commitment to community.Alice Trimmer: Building Stronger Communities | A Life of Music, Purpose & ServiceAlice studied music and violin before building a career that brought together her love of music and words.  At The McGraw-Hill Companies, she served as an Editorial Director for Music in the educational division, helping shape music education materials for the next generation.After retiring from publishing, Alice discovered a new way to put her experience and energy to work. She worked as the Director at the Rosedale Center, a division of the South Bronx Educational Foundation, contributing her time, leadership, and experience to running supplementary educational and leadership programs for young women in middle school and high school.  Today, Alice is enjoying full retirement—but she certainly hasn't stopped being engaged with the world around her. She organized the Phoenix Club, a group of women with substantial life experience who meet monthly to build new friendships, share their knowledge, and find meaningful ways to enrich the lives of those around them.The Phoenix Club explores topics of cultural and practical interest, drawing upon the members' collective knowledge and life experiences, as well as the expertise of invited speakers.For Alice, this may be one expression of what the Japanese call Ikigai—a reason for being, or something that gives life meaning and makes us want to get up and participate in the world each day. Retirement, in this sense, isn't an ending. It can be an opportunity to discover new forms of purpose, connection, and contribution.One example is the Phoenix Club's September 2026 theme, “What's in a Name?” Members will share the stories behind their names—whether they came from a person, place, or thing—as a way of exploring personal history and celebrating the richness of America's heritage during its 250th anniversary year.  Alice's story reminds us that a career may end, but purpose doesn't have to. Sometimes our Ikigai emerges in a different form: bringing people together, sharing what we have learned, staying curious, creating friendships, and making the lives of others a little richer.From music and education to community leadership, Alice Trimmer shows us that a meaningful life can continue to evolve at every age.

How can dance change the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease?

In this episode of Aging with Grace and Purpose, I talk with David Leventhal, Program Director of Dance for PD®, about the remarkable intersection of dance, neuroscience, healthcare, and human connection.

David explains how movement, music, and imagination help people rediscover confidence and joy while living with Parkinson's disease. We also discuss neuroplasticity, Narrative Medicine, creativity, and why the arts play an essential role in healthy aging.

As David beautifully says,

"At heart, there's art in heart."

This conversation is for anyone interested in Parkinson's disease, healthy aging, the healing power of the arts, and the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.

Keiichiro Hirano is one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary novelists. In this conversation, we discuss his journey from Japan to New York, his philosophy of "dividualism" (分人主義), the role of literature in modern society, and how living abroad has influenced his writing and perspective.

His deeply psychological fiction explores profound and universal themes such as self-love, relationships, and acceptance, and spans short stories, historical novels, essays, love stories, and literary sci-fi. (From his English website: https://en.k-hirano.com/profileen/(From his official English website: https://en.k-hirano.com/profileen/）

Awards include:・120th Akutagawa Prize for Eclipse（Nisshoku）(1999)・59th Education, Science and Technology Ministers Art Encouragement Prize for New Writers for Breach（Kekkai） (2009)・19th Prix Deux Magots Bunkamura for Dawn (2009)・ the Watanabe Junichi Literary Prize for At the End of the Matinee（2017）・ The Yomiuri Prize for Literature for A MAN (2019）・ the Kobayashi Hideo Prize for Theory on Yukio Mishima (2023）

Welcome back to the full episode of Ms. Bircan Ünver, a Turkish-American author, activist, producer, and founder of Light Millennium, a charitable organization dedicated to global human advancement.Please visit her multimedia platform below. (If you read their "Contact" section, you will find something really refreshing.)www.lmglobal.org (Current and activewww.lightmillennium.org (Archive website 1999-2018)For more than two decades, she has worked to promote dialogue, education, and global citizenship, demonstrating how values rooted in Anatolia can inspire action on an international stage.

Today's episode features Ms. Bircan Ünver, a Turkish-American author, activist, producer, and founder of Light Millennium, a charitable organization dedicated to global human advancement.Please visit her multimedia platform below. (If you read their "Contact" section, you will find something really refreshing.)www.lmglobal.org (Current and activewww.lightmillennium.org (Archive website 1999-2018)For more than two decades, she has worked to promote dialogue, education, and global citizenship, demonstrating how values rooted in Anatolia can inspire action on an international stage.

Welcome back to Aging with Grace and Purpose.

Today's episode features Ms. Bircan Ünver, a Turkish-American author, activist, producer, and founder of Light Millennium, a charitable organization dedicated to global human advancement.

For more than two decades, she has worked to promote dialogue, education, and global citizenship, demonstrating how values rooted in Anatolia can inspire action on an international stage.

Please visit her multimedia platform below. (If you read their "Contact" section, you will find something really refreshing.)www.lmglobal.org (Current and activewww.lightmillennium.org (Archive website 1999-2018)

Featuring AKO, Renowned Actress, Playwright, Producer, and Founder of Amaterasu-Za Theater. The 2024 Disney series "Shogun" has won Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards.

She played a key role in depicting the "Iyo no kata" the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.In this episode, we are honored to welcome AKO, a distinguished New York-based actress, director, playwright, and founder of the theater company Amaterasu-Za. AKO’s influence spans local and national theater, where she continues to leave an impact on audiences and fellow artists through her dynamic contributions. As she prepares for the upcoming Off-Broadway premiere of OKUNI (Izumo no Okuni) this November, AKO shares her creative journey and insights, taking time from her busy rehearsal schedule to speak with us.This is the Part 3 of AKO's interview.

In this episode, we are honored to welcome AKO, a distinguished New York-based actress, director, playwright, and founder of the theater company Amaterasu-Za. AKO’s influence spans local and national theater, where she continues to leave an impact on audiences and fellow artists through her dynamic contributions. As she prepares for the upcoming Off-Broadway premiere of OKUNI (Izumo no Okuni) this November, AKO shares her creative journey and insights, taking time from her busy rehearsal schedule to speak with us.This is the Part 2 of AKO's interview.

AKO, Actress and Producer:In this episode, we are joined by the versatile AKO, a celebrated New York-based actress, director, playwright, and founder of the theater company Amaterasu Za.

AKO continues to make a significant impact as a key figure in both the local and national theater scenes. While preparing for the upcoming Off-Broadway premiere of Izumo no Okuni this November, she shares her artistic journey and insights, taking time from her demanding rehearsal schedule to speak with us.

Ms. Sheila Massey, inspired by a stray kitten named Sadie, began her journey in animal welfare in 2008 by doing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) work across New York City. Her TNR efforts took her to diverse locations, including a prison, an evangelical church, a landmark mansion, a community garden, and a parking garage, where she honed her community relations skills. Sheila co-taught "Neighborhood Relations" and TNR training for the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals’ Feral Cat Initiative.In 2020, Sheila founded Hard Hat Cats, an innovative non-profit that places unadoptable feral cats from NYC shelters into “jobs” with employers seeking non-toxic rodent control. The cats, thriving in settings like breweries, parks, and hotels, live independently, focused on deterring rodents while largely ignoring people.