Patsy Ricketts takes the contestants through some movements to enhance their performances. - Contributed

To fully appreciate the thrilling performances of the Digicel Rising Stars contestants each Sunday night would require a look behind the scenes at the men and women who work to maintain the high-entertainment value of the show. Working from Sunday to Sunday, there is no denying the important roles that they play and how their input influences the overall process of the show. The motivated team works tirelessly to ensure that the contestants' song choices coordinate with the choreography, their performance onstage and also that all musical elements come together to create a perfect and entertaining show.

Musical director - Peter Ashbourne

Digicel Rising Stars is a singing competition, therefore it is no surprise that there is a team of music specialists on hand to lend their expertise to the contestants, many of whom have not had any professional singing experience.

Musical director Peter Ashbourne has been with the show since its inception and provides musical support throughout the entire season of the competition. From the audition rounds in April until the 2008 Digicel Rising Star is crowned next month, Ashbourne is charged with ensuring the perfection of the musical aspect of the competition.

Working as part of a team, Ashbourne organises the accompaniments for each contestant and also makes certain that they are of a high quality.

"During the track periods of the series I am responsible for getting those tracks made. It takes quite a bit of manoeuvring to fit specific portions of the songs with the time limit that they have," Ashbourne says. Added to that is the responsibility of sourcing the recordings for each song. "We prepare for the songs with an eye to perfection."

Ashbourne highlights that song choice is an important process, therefore selecting and practising these songs is a long and tedious process requiring full commitment from the talented team, which puts everything together. Additionally, Ashbourne must ensure that the tracks for each contestant are made in time for rehearsals - a process that can take as long as six hours to complete.

"It's a lot of pressure and what I keep telling everybody is no matter what we do or do not do there is going to be a show on Sunday," he says, underscoring the importance of always doing the job well.

Vocal coach -- Michael Harris

As the vocal coach, Michael Harris has the responsibility of helping the contestants maximise their singing talents and therefore improve their overall performance.

"I help with song selection, how they perform the song and what parts of the song they sing, because they have a time limit," Harris says.

It is for this reason that Harris ensures that he uses the contact hours with the contestants to guide them through not only how to sing the songs, but also emphasise the parts that will highlight their strongest qualities.

In highlighting the progress the contestants have made in the competition, Harris notes that he has seen significant improvements in their general performance. "They are coming into terms with realising that it's not only about opening their mouths and singing because they can sing," he says. "I think they've grown in terms of awareness; now, they are more aware of how they look onstage and how this affects people's responses and how they vote for them."

Harris also chides as unfair and unfounded the public's criticism regarding the talent pool of this year's contestants.

learning, growing each week

"They're amateurs and they're learning and growing each week. We have to keep that in mind, so you can't really beat them up. I have definitely seen them growing," he says.

Also of importance to the competition is that all the different singing elements must come together to complement the voice, style and personality of each contestant. Harris therefore plays a role in assisting the contestants with their vocal approach to the songs, attention to dynamics, expression and also coordinating the background vocalists and the newly introduced live band.

Performance directors - Michael Holgate and Patsy Ricketts

There is singing and then there is singing while performing. Both are important; however, it takes some amount of experience and practice to manage the two effectively. This is where performance directors Michael Holgate and Patsy Ricketts come in.

The cool moves and the choreographed routines that you witness week after week can be attributed to the talented team, which pools its expertise to create a highly entertaining performance for each contestant.

"We all share the responsibilities and sometimes we go over into each other's territory," Holgate says. "I do some choreography as well, even though the main person is Patsy Ricketts."

Ricketts is primarily responsible for ensuring that the movements of both the groups and the individual contestants are in sync during their performances. While she ensures alignment and uniformity within the groups, she also tries to assist with expressive choreography for the individual contestants.

"Choreography is important because that is the whole performance. A singer can't just go out there and sing," Ricketts said. "Movement must be synchronised; it enhances their performance."

enhancing natural abilities

Having been involved with the show since last year, Ricketts says that one of her main strategies is to enhance the natural abilities of the contestants rather than teach them complex new dance moves.

"Sometimes I might just add one little movement, because you have to work on their most basic movement," she said.

For his part, Holgate's aim is to assist the contestants with effectively commanding the stage during their performances.

"I help them to bring out their energy and stage presence. I teach them techniques to help them deliver in a big way and how to cater to both the studio audience and the TV audience," Holgate says.

According to him, the Digicel Rising Stars show is a holistic entertainment package that equips the contestants with the tools and techniques to effectively function in the entertainment industry.

"Our intention is not just to work with just the number one. Everyone who has been a part of the process has got something from the experience," he says.