What comes to mind when you thinks of retirement? Common answers might be having the time to do all the things you couldn't while working; enjoying well-earned time to putter around the house, play a few rounds of golf, travel to exotic destinations. Steve McNeal's version of retirement doesn't seem to fit the standard. In fact, it's hard to call it retirement at all.

Currently the director and conductor of the Fort Collins Wind Symphony, McNeal is preparing to conduct a concert on May 11. The concert will be a part of the symphony season's current theme: Colorado Connections.

Having taught as a conductor for the Poudre School District for 36 years, McNeal thought it a fitting time to retire in 1998. Rather than free time, retirement has brought him new and exciting opportunities to continue conducting.

Prior to Wes Kenney's current tenure as the CSU Orchestra Conductor, McNeal filled in as a temporary conductor for three semesters.

"Then when Wes came I stayed on as assistant conductor and so when he's gone I'll run rehearsals," said McNeal, who has the music wing in Fort Collins High named after him. "I conducted a concert about a month ago while he was in Bulgaria."

He fell into directing the Wind Symphony in much the same way.

"I had been a member of it and they were just kind of wondering who to get and so they asked me to conduct a concert,” he said. That was in 2001. “I guess I kind of stayed on ever since," he said.

For someone whose roots in Fort Collins run quite deep, the current season's theme of Colorado Connections is a snug fit. Virtually everything about the upcoming performance, from the compositions to those conducting them, will have a special connection with Colorado.

The symphony will play a piece by Carter Pann, a composer who lives in Boulder. It's a western-style piece meant to evoke Colorado's western heritage. They're also doing a piece by John Sousa, which will be played as an ode to the Rockies’ exceptional season last year.

"It's got several home run sounds in it, in honor of baseball," McNeal said.

To conduct alongside McNeal, the Wind Symphony is having Col. Lowell Graham fly in, Greeley native and formerly the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band. He currently conducts at the University of Texas at El Paso.

With arguably more musical endeavors under his direction than ever before, can Steve McNeal really plead retirement any longer?

"It seems like retirement has been kind of busy. Somewhat it isn't retirement but that's also been very good," McNeal said. "It's been very special really. I couldn't have asked for more in my retirement."