Helps studied at the universities of Columbia (1947–49) and Berkeley (1949–51) He was one of the most distinguished pupils of Abby Whiteside and perhaps the most well-known practitioner of her theories of rhythm and of a technique directed from the humerus rather than the fingers.
He studied composition with Roger Sessions, who exerted a strong influence on his career, and whose music he often performed and recorded.
At the end of his life he divided his time between the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of South Florida.
His music has been released on the Naxos, [3] CRI, Desto, and Albany labels.
The University of South Florida's Special Collections [4] holds the Robert Helps Archive.