After graduation, he joined the band of Maynard Ferguson as a featured trombonist and one of two arrangers, touring five to seven months a year from 1981 to 1985.

[1] In 1985, Wiest began graduate school at the University of North Texas, earning a master's degree in Jazz Studies in 1988.

[11] Wiest explains that it is built on inter-connected vignettes or movements that comprise an epic tale of life from other worlds and our place in the cosmos.

[12] The Steve Wiest Eclectic Electric Band will record the compositions as one album titled, Concerto for Folded Space.

For example, on November 6, 2013, Wiest uploaded one in a series of "cool stuff", as he phrased it, to the Participant Zone of his ArtistShare Concerto for Folded Space site.

"New Cydoinia", a 2010 big-band arrangement, is a programmatic representation of all of the theories and stories surrounding the enigmatic area on Mars known as Cydonia.

"A Night in Pidruid", a 2006 composition scored for big band, is a programmatic and thematic development of characters and events in Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentine's Castle.

He has three children from previous marriages - a daughter, Amber with Pam Sonmor Wintz, and two sons, Matthew and David with Carmen Smith.

[11] His father, John Thomas Wiest (1932–2006) was a trombonist[8] and his mother, Wanda Jean Smith Stegall (1934-2016) was a special education teacher.

His cousin, Nick Drozdoff, is a jazz trumpeter and music educator based in the Chicago area who also played with Maynard Ferguson in the 1980s.

[8] As leader As director of the One O'Clock Lab Band As director of the U-Tubes As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater As trombonist and arranger with Maynard Ferguson As trombonist with the Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra As trombonist with other artists As student trombonist and arranger with the One O'Clock Lab Band As composer and trombonist with other artists Kendor Music, Inc., distributor UNC Jazz Press, Greeley, Colorado Walrus Music Publishing – trade name for Daniel Franz Beher, Pismo Beach, California (audio samples) Maynard Ferguson Publishing and library[19] Other publishers Unpublished In addition to Wiest's concert appearances at music festivals, clinics, and camps as director of the One O'Clock Lab Band, he has appeared as an artist and clinician with organizations and events that include: Collegiate Scholastic Regional, national, professional As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater As director of the One O'Clock Lab Band Maynard Ferguson One O'Clock Lab Band Cartoons and illustrations Articles Liner notes Digital media jazz advocacy