Raiatea Helm Resource Guide
As a replacement to the Study Guides we’ve sent in the past, we are offering these easy to access links that you can share in your classroom along with information to help your students get the most out of the school matinee they are attending.
School Matinee
Raiatea Helm: A Legacy of Hawaiian Song & String
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 • 11:00am-Noon
A two-time Grammy nominee, Hawaiian native Raiatea Helm is a master of leo ki‘e ki‘e, the art of Hawaiian falsetto singing. In her performance, she is highlighting her new album A Legacy of Hawaiian Song & String.
Study Guide Resources
String Revival:
The Man Helping Hawai‘i’s Instruments Sing Again
Luthier Kilin Reece will be onstage with Raiatea Helm, discussing the history of her instruments. An avid researcher of the string instruments that arrive at his shop, Reece, who is also a professional bluegrass musician, has developed an ear for the history of his craft. Raised in California, Kilin Reece now calls Hawaiʻi home where he blends historical craftsmanship with modern innovation to create instruments that capture timeless heritage while delivering exceptional tone and playability.
George Helm
Raiatea is the niece of musician George Helm Jr., considered one of the greatest Hawaiian falsetto vocalists. He played fast, complex guitar parts while singing in an “almost inhuman” vocal range. In 1977, he was lost at sea during the activism to protect the island of Kaho’olawe from military bombings. His only musical recordings were made with minimal technology, they are played regularly on Hawaiian music stations. Generations later, George Helm’s music is still inspirational to many, both because it is considered to be some of the finest examples of Hawaiian falsetto ever created, and because it embodies a powerful expression of the Hawaiian soul.
Interesting To Know
Falsetto is a vocal technique that allows singers to hit notes higher than their normal voice can reach. This enables them to sing falsetto and create a distinctive, high-pitched, airy sound.
A luthier is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments. The word luthier is originally French and comes from luth, the French word for “lute”. The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be used in French for makers of most bowed and plucked stringed instruments such as members of the violin family (including violas, cellos, and double basses) and guitars.
The island of Moloka’i is the most rural of Hawai’i’s five major islands, with a population of 7,400. More than 60% of the island’s residents are of native Hawaiian ancestry.
California Arts Standards
The 2019 California Arts Standards provide guidance toward a common goal: for all California students to fully participate in a rich and well-rounded arts education. The standards are based on the artistic processes of creating; performing/producing/presenting; responding; and connecting. Our school matinees correspond to responding and connecting:
- Responding—Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and Analyze Artistic Work; Standard 8: Interpret Intent and Meaning in Artistic Work; Anchor Standard 9: Apply Criteria to Evaluate Artistic Work
- Connecting—Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and Relate Knowledge and Personal Experiences to Make Art; Anchor Standard 11: Relate Artistic Ideas and Works with Societal, Cultural, and Historical Context to Deepen Understanding
Common Core Standards
Common Core broadens the definition of a “text,” viewing performance as a form of text, so students are experiencing and interacting with a text when they attend a performance. Seeing live performance provides rich opportunities to write reflections, narratives, arguments etc.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3