When there was an active and thriving music industry in Memphis, the Greater Memphis Area reaped the benefits of a highly stimulated economy and surging employment rates. So much so that in the early 1970s, the music industry, grounded in Soul Music produced by Hi Records, STAX Records, and American Studios was the 3rd largest employer in the city of Memphis.

The University of Memphis, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Memphis Tomorrow and most recently the Mass Economics new economy plan have identified a list of key economic drivers that will be extremely important to the future growth of Memphis and Shelby County. According to these studies, music was among the top three.

To put the focus back on music and create a viable Memphis music industry for the future, Hall of Fame Songwriter and Music Producer David Porter created The Consortium MMT (Memphis Music Town), a non-profit 501(c)(3), to mentor and educate promising members of the Memphis area in the creative performing arts of Recording Artists/ Entertainers, Songwriting, and Record Producing.

To continue fostering the talents and musical careers of the Consortium MMT's Emerging Stars and the music community as a whole, the Memphis Music Foundation merged with the Consortium MMT and thus the Talent Development Complex (TDC) was formed

As the new home of Memphis' music resource center, the Talent Development Complex aims to educate, equip, and inspire the impassioned music community of Memphis as part of the Consortium MMT's effort to rebuild a thriving music industry in the City of Memphis.