Murray Hill Talent, Malden's Own Talent Agency

MALDEN, MA – Small Business Saturday is this weekend, and consumers are encouraged to "Shop Small" to support the local businesses that make up the fabric of our communities.

In that spirit, we asked small business owners in Malden to submit their stories.

Corin Ashley, one of the owners of Murray Hill Talent in Maplewood Square, shares how two Maldonians and a Medford resident set out on their own after a decade in the entertainment business:

Initially based around the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the three of us worked for another agency for about 10 years before deciding to branch out on our own. As we individually married and started to contemplate children, we all gravitated towards Malden. Our business of representing bands and DJs for weddings, corporate events and parties soon followed us here- initially out of a few rooms on Murray Hill Park Rd where one of our partners lives, and now in loft space in Maplewood Square in which we have built a soundstage for video production, rehearsals and recording.

Murray Hill talent has six full-time employees, but we represent dozens of the top musical artists in the area. We find Malden to be the perfect location for our business. We do a lot of work at the hotels of downtown Boston and the Seaport District and it’s a quick zip down 93 to those spots. In addition, our kids go to school here- at Mystic Valley Charter School and the Linden Steam Academy and we find ourselves involved in their local sports, music, school events, etc.

Murray Hill Talent has organized the music for both of former governor Deval Patrick's inauguration parties, his daughter's wedding, the wedding of business authors Jack and Suzy Welch, Elizabeth Hasselbeck's wedding, Toyota corporate event with Christina Aguilera and the Volvo International Ocean Race, Ashley said. One of the group's bands, Flipside, was named the "Best Wedding Band in Boston" by Boston Magazine.

Photo submitted by Corin Ashley