As the conductor’s hands rise under the purple glow of the Centauri Centre auditorium, anticipation settles across room. Keilen sits poised at the piano, his fingers steady on the keys, focused on the story he is about to tell.
Early Musical Beginnings
A lover of music since pre-school, Keilen began learning the piano at five-years-old. Fifteen months later, age six, he sat his Grade 2 Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) exam and received Honours.
“When I’m on stage, it feels like my instrument is talking to the audience. It feels really nice to play in front of them because it’s like a whole story that I’m telling,” Keilen said.
Keilen performed for the first time in front of our school community at the 2021 ANZAC Day Assembly, giving a masterclass in bravery and skill.
Keilen’s journey to the stage began at home, performing for his teacher and parents, and on his YouTube channel. In 2020, he entered SCG’s Got Talent Competition where his performance of Dragon Fly by William Gillock won the Junior School Category.
In 2021, he was invited to perform publicly for the first time in front of our school community at the ANZAC Day Assembly, in what was described as a “masterclass in bravery and skill”.
For Keilen’s parents Li Sarn and Gerson, watching Keilen take to the stage in 2021 is something they will never forget. “As parents, we were naturally nervous about such a young child performing in front of the whole school, but the Principal at the time was incredibly supportive and encouraging,” they said. “Seeing Keilen, a little Year 2 student, being celebrated and encouraged by the older students was very special. He was very excited when he came home and at that moment, we knew we made the right decision in choosing Southern Cross Grammar for our family.”
From Performer to Leader
As Keilen has grown, so too have his ambitions.
In Year 5, he set his sights on the Silver AMEB Award to expand his music leadership beyond performance and contribute to our thriving music community.
“One of the things we value most is that, because SCG is a smaller school, Keilen has never felt like just another student. He has been known, encouraged, and supported throughout his journey, which has given him the confidence to pursue opportunities he may not otherwise have considered. It has been a privilege to watch him grow and flourish in such a caring environment.” – Li Sarn and Gerson (Keilen’s parents)
Keilen embraced the Award program through mentoring, ensemble involvement, performance, and community service. For the program, he chose to focus on the Cello, an instrument he first learnt in Year 2 as part of our Strings Program.
“As part of my Silver AMEB I mentored lots of students and helped in orchestras and ensembles. I also performed a lot of pieces in front of audiences,” he said. “Mentoring students was a great experience because I was able to teach beginner musicians. I could watch them grow and adapt to how they learn.”
Beyond the classroom and stage Keilen also supported our music program by helping raise $700 through our Friends of Music Car Wash Fundraiser.
Keilen’s parents credit the support of his music teachers with providing him with the encouragement, guidance, and opportunities needed to complete his Silver Award requirements.
“When we shared [his Silver AMEB plans] with his music teachers, they were immediately so supportive and encouraging,” Li Sarn and Gerson said. “They not only celebrated his decision but also provided guidance, ideas, and practical support to help him progress. Their encouragement played a key role in him building the confidence to continue working towards his Silver Award.”
Shortly after pinning his Silver AMEB Award badge to his blazer, Keilen received another: a Design and Arts Captain badge as a Year 6 leader.
Life as a Year 7 Student
Now in Year 7, Keilen has completed his Grade 8 AMEB exam in piano and is currently working towards his Grade 8 cello exam.
He is also enjoying the breadth of learning, friendships, and new experiences that come with secondary school.
“It’s really fun getting to move rooms and learning from different teachers. I’m enjoying music, maths, and basketball, and I’m curious about opportunities in science,” he said.
“Science is like a tree with many branches inside. There are many things I can learn about it and it’s cool adding new words to my vocabulary.”
As Keilen’s future unfurls, he is grateful for the teachers who have shaped the person he is today across music, academics, and many other parts of school life.
“Keilen has felt genuinely supported to aim high and challenge himself, while also knowing that he has a strong network of teachers who believe in him and are willing to help him succeed.” – Li Sarn and Gerson (Keilen’s parents)
Among them is Helen Vaughan, his Year 5 and 6 teacher, who believed in him and challenged him to aim high, and helped him extend his learning.
Keilen said, “My parents have always believed in me, but Ms Vaughan always challenged me and made me do my best in all my subjects by adapting to my skill level, giving me harder work mostly in Maths and helping me with English.”
Helen’s encouragement inspired Keilen to rise to the challenge.
In 2025 he was awarded Best in School (Primary) at the Australian Mathematics Competition and received a High Distinction in the Maths Talent Quest for his outstanding project on saving and investing.
Li Sarn and Gerson have seen the impact of this support, saying, “Keilen has felt genuinely supported to aim high and challenge himself, while also knowing that he has a strong network of teachers who believe in him and are willing to help him succeed.”
For the future Keilen hopes to continue learning, support his family, and one day become an engineer, saying, “I want to be successful and to help my family. I also want to become an engineer and get into a good uni, and continue my instrumental studies during VCE.”
