{"id":12845,"date":"2025-09-18T09:05:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=12845"},"modified":"2025-09-18T09:05:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:05:21","slug":"the-ethan-effect-engineering-student-and-gifted-pianist-inspires-steinway-piano-campaign","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/the-ethan-effect-engineering-student-and-gifted-pianist-inspires-steinway-piano-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ethan Effect: Engineering student and gifted pianist inspires Steinway piano campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Ethan Squires rehearses at the piano before a recital in Brodbeck Concert Hall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ethan Squires was a busy mechanical engineering major and computer science minor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, holding down a campus job and routinely taking over eighteen credits a semester. He was also a gifted pianist and trombone player who performed in multiple ensembles, composed and arranged music and played for guest artists. Ethan was a familiar fixture in Doudna Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan was always smiling, always saying hello in the hallway with so much warmth,\u201d said Ethan\u2019s piano instructor, Dr. Kaju Lee.<\/p>\n

In the spring of 2024, while completing his co-op with Kohler Power Systems in Sheboygan and preparing the\u00a0Khachaturian Piano Concerto<\/em>\u00a0for the fall concerto competition on campus, Ethan died suddenly of complications from type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

In the weeks and months following the tragic loss, Ethan\u2019s impact on Platteville\u2019s music program\u2014and the program\u2019s impact on his life\u2014became clear. His parents, Jeff and Whitney Squires, established a fund to support causes important to Ethan and approached the music program for gift ideas that would benefit UW-Platteville student musicians like their son.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe explained that we wanted to do something to remember Ethan, but something meaningful to the music program\u2014a way to honor Ethan and the music program,\u201d said Jeff Squires. \u201cDr. Lee proposed the idea of a Steinway Model D concert grand piano. Every music program needs two, and UW-Platteville only has one. We thought, \u2018What better way to honor Ethan and to honor the music program than to help secure this world-class piano?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A year after his passing, the Ethan Squires Fund committed to a matching gift to the university for the purchase of a Steinway Model D in memory of Ethan. The UW-Platteville Foundation and Alumni Association and the Department of Performing and Visual Arts hope to raise $105,000 from alumni and other donors to complete the match, with the goal of debuting the piano in spring 2026.<\/p>\n

The instrument will touch every music student, regardless of whether they play piano. It will accompany choirs, vocal and instrumental solos and ensembles. The piano will be used in rehearsals and performances for orchestras and bands, for guest artists and for community events and music competitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences will hear and feel the beauty of this powerful sound. It will raise the level of everything we do,\u201d explained Lee.<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s Legacy at UW-Platteville<\/h3>\n

Ethan arrived in Platteville in the fall of 2020, a difficult and isolating year for college freshmen everywhere. It wasn\u2019t until his sophomore year that he decided to pursue music on campus by joining the symphony band as a trombone player. He quickly rose through the program, joining Dr. Daniel Rowland\u2019s low brass studio and the top wind ensemble. His piano skill, however, remained a secret to many until Rowland encouraged Ethan to meet Lee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still remember our first meeting so clearly. He brought in Interstellar, the film score, and played it for me. He didn\u2019t say much about his past awards or piano competition wins across Wisconsin\u2014he was very humble. But the way he played\u2014with so much sincere feeling\u2014I could tell right away that he had a deep connection to music,\u201d Lee recalled.<\/p>\n

Ethan brought his engineering mind to his musical endeavors, analyzing compositions, trying alternative slide positions on his trombone and deconstructing the music in his favorite movies and television shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with his demanding course load, Ethan always made time for music,\u201d remembered Whitney Squires. \u201cIt was his stress relief and his joy. It was how he processed his emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

His deep connection to music was matched by his connection to the people who shared it with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe loved the music program at UW-Platteville,\u201d Jeff Squires explained.<\/p>\n

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And the program loved him back. Faculty and students alike remember Ethan as humble and supportive, stepping in to help anyone who was struggling with a challenging piece, or just a difficult day.<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s friends coined the term, \u201cThe Ethan Effect\u201d as way of explaining his positive impact on every person he encountered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had an unlimited amount of time and resources for everyone,\u201d said friend Levi Turner. \u201cHe had one of the busiest schedules I\u2019ve ever seen, but he would take the time to sit down and talk to anybody at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave so much to our community,\u201d shared Lee. \u201cIn studio class, he offered warm, thoughtful feedback to his peers. As an advanced pianist, he helped make our space kind, supportive and encouraging for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why a Steinway Model D<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe Steinway Model D Concert Grand is not just any piano,\u201d explained Lee. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most respected concert grands in the world, chosen by the greatest pianists for its tone and power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each piano is handcrafted at the Steinway factory in Queens, New York and considered a masterpiece of form and function. Ninety-seven percent of solo pianists choose to perform on this instrument.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure he would appreciate that we are procuring one of the best pieces of machinery for his art that literally exists in this world,\u201d remarked Rowland with a smile.<\/p>\n

All agree that this extraordinary piano will be a fitting tribute to an engineer-musician who pursued excellence in all areas of his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cMade possible by Ethan\u2019s parents, this instrument is more than a piano. It is a tribute to Ethan\u2019s memory. Every time a student plays it, I hope they feel a little of Ethan\u2014his kindness, his joy and his deep love for music. He is still with us in sound, in story and in heart,\u201d said an emotional Lee.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Ethan and his legacy, or to contribute to the campaign, visit:\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/foundation.uwplatt.edu\/g\/ethan-squires-memorial-steinway-piano-campaign<\/a> or contact Caleb Wendhausen at the UW-Platteville Foundation & Alumni Association at 608-342-3957.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Written by Carrie Van Hallgren<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwplatt.edu\/news\/ethan-effect-engineering-student-and-gifted-pianist-inspires-steinway-piano-campaign<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ethan Squires was a busy mechanical engineering major and computer science minor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, holding down a campus job and routinely taking over eighteen credits a semester. He was also a gifted pianist and trombone player who performed in multiple ensembles, composed and arranged music and played for guest artists. Ethan was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":12847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[93],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-12845","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-platteville"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/12845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=12845"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=12845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}