Downtown Cape building to house talent services company

At 33 N. Ellis St. in Cape Girardeau, a transformation is underway. A building formerly home to a pool supply company is shedding paneling, carpet and old paint to make way for a talent representation and media production company: Top Talent Services LLC, set to open Wednesday.

“The whole idea is to create a company to provide all services an artist might need to advance their career,” said Josh Lynn, operations manager, whose background includes event planning and promotions at, among other venues, the former Pitters Cafe and Lounge in Cape Girardeau.

Lynn and co-owners Teri Hammond and Derek White are working together to provide media production services and book performance contractors.

What does that mean? Plenty, Hammond said: a la carte services to help performers present a more polished face to the industry and audiences — think professional headshots, studio space to record tracks or podcasts, graphic design services, and so on; representation for musical acts; and education for artists who may not be familiar with pitfalls and roadblocks in the entertainment industry.

“We can provide resources, information, guidance that artists need,” Lynn said.

“There’s something to be said for protecting the interests of artists, and of buyers,” Hammond said.

Ensuring contracts are clear, fair and enforceable is a big part of what they hope to achieve with Top Talent Services, she said, and building relationships with venues is important to them as well.

Helping artists set goals is another facet of what they do, Lynn said.

Hammond noted being a working musician is about more than simply being famous. It’s about doing the work, making the contacts, performing repeatedly and consistently.

The building is nearly ready, Lynn said, and already the bones of the organization are visible. The front room will have a coffee-shop atmosphere, where artists and creatives can mingle and collaborate informally. The next room will be more structured — office space dedicated to the administrative side, Lynn said.

And in the back room — with a floor adorned with a massive mural by Cape Girardeau artist Malcolm McCrae — that’s where the magic will happen. Lynn said one area will be set aside and acoustically enhanced to provide a space for performers to either practice or record tracks. Another zone will have audio/visual equipment so clients can record podcasts or YouTube videos.

Hammond formed the company in 2014, after she’d worked as an event organizer for several years. She said she found Lynn and White at just the right time to bring together their talents and expertise to create a unique opportunity for creative people looking to build or polish a career in the performing arts.

Hammond said she’s also looking to work with traveling acts. Musical artists might travel from New Orleans to Chicago, and Cape Girardeau is a natural stopping point for them, she said.

There’s an apartment upstairs at the house that could house traveling artists, Lynn said.

Ultimately, the advantage of working with Top Talent Services, Hammond said, is that they’re licensed, insured professionals who can get phone calls answered.

“The major markets are not as necessary as was once the case,” Hammond said. “But it’s difficult to get people to listen.”

And, Hammond said, as a smaller company operating locally, they’re accountable to both venues and artists. Transparency is important.

“This is where we want to be successful,” Hammond said of the Cape Girardeau region. “It works better if everyone is doing well.”

Hammond noted there are more than 15 markets within a day’s driving distance of Cape Girardeau. That’s great for setting up tours, she said.

“We’re trying to help everyone make money all the time,” Lynn added: if talent is earning money and venues are profiting, everyone wins — and there’s room for everyone to do well.

“I like to say, the entertainment industry in Cape Girardeau is not in competition,” Lynn said. “We’re in concert.”

More information may be found at www.toptalentbooking.com.