This story by Belinda Bantham first appeared in the life@NWU staff newsletter of North-West University, December 2024, and is reprinted in the March 2025 issue of @theConserve newsletter and on this blog by kind permission of the author.

Prof Paul Smit [above, middle], an associate professor in the School for Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management at North-West University, has always been committed to supporting others. However, it was a deeply personal loss that led him to find an unexpected and meaningful way to give back to his community.

In December 2023, Paul lost his beloved wife, Elmain. She was not only his life partner, but also the heart and soul of their home, a gifted pianist whose music filled their lives with beauty. Paul fondly remembers the sound of the piano as one of the most wonderful aspects of their shared life.

“Elmain was the musician in our home,” he says. “The sound of the piano when she played or practised was always the highlight of my day. It was like her music was the pulse of our home. We were fortunate enough to own a grand piano, and it brought so much life to the house.”

But after Elmain’s passing, the silence that followed was deafening. The thought of the grand piano sitting unused, gathering dust, felt almost unbearable.

“I can’t play the piano at all, and it was unimaginable to me that the piano, which had once been filled with such music, would just sit there untouched.”

Paul thought about the many music students he knew — young musicians studying at the School of Music and Conservatory, many of whom had to practise on keyboards in small hostel rooms or apartments, often with little space to stretch out and truly embrace their art. The thought struck him: Why not offer the grand piano in his home to these students, so they could practise in a space that, for all its silence, had once been alive with music?

“I reached out to Prof Tinus Botha,” Paul explains, “and I offered my piano to any of the students who needed a place to practise. I knew there were many who didn’t have access to a proper piano, and I wanted to help.”

The very next day, a student reached out, eager to use the grand piano. Not long after, another student joined. Soon, Paul’s home, which had been so quiet, was once again filled with music.

A few months ago, Paul invited the students, Sergio Tavares [left] and Ty Maeco-Dipholo [right], who had been practising on the piano, to perform a recital in his home. The intimate concert for 10 guests gave the students an opportunity to showcase their talent and express their appreciation for the piano that had become such a cherished part of their lives.

“The house concert was a truly special moment,” Paul recalls. “To hear these students play with such passion and skill reminded me of how incredible and talented our students are here at the NWU. I hadn’t realised just how fortunate we are to have such gifted young people right on our doorstep.”

For Paul, offering his home in this way is more than just a kind gesture — it’s his humble contribution to community engagement, a way of giving back to the students who are the future of music. Paul’s story is proof of the impact that small acts of kindness can have on those around us.

Prof Smit has also generously donated a R10,000 prize to the annual music bursary competition. The prize is named in honour of his late wife, Elmain, and it is for a first-year student who presents the best rendition of a work by Mozart or Beethoven — these were Elmain’s favourite composers.