AN LR60 PLT APCHING MEM RPTS THAT AFTER A RWY CHANGE ON FINAL AN INACCURATE TRACON TFC RPT CAUSED A DISTR AND CONFUSING SITUATION.

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WHILE ON APCH INTO MEM; THE APCH CTLR WAS DESCENDING US DOWN AND HE INITIALLY CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 36L AND DESCEND TO 5000 FT. ATC FAILED TO HEAR OUR RESPONSE 3 TIMES. ATC THEN CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD TRIED TO CALL US 3 TIMES; TO WHICH THE FO REPLIED THAT WE HAD IN FACT RESPONDED THREE TIMES TO ATC. ATC THEN ADVISED US TO DESCEND TO 3000 FT AND PROCEED DIRECT TO THE FINAL APCH FIX FOR RWY 36R ILS. SHORTLY AFTER ATC CALLS US AND ASKS IF WE HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT TEN O' CLOCK AND ADVISES US OF TFC AT OUR TWO O' CLOCK; WITHOUT GIVING US A PROPER ALT OR TYPE OF ACFT TO LOOK FOR. THE FO ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT THAT WE STILL DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT; ATC SEEMED TO GET CONCERNED AT THIS POINT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A VISUAL ON THE TFC; AND DUE TO HIS RESPONSE I BECAME CONCERNED AND ASKED THE FO TO GET ANOTHER POSITION RPT ON THE TFC; AS I SCANNED THE HORIZON FOR TFC AND CHECKED MY TCAS; I THEN LOOKED TO MY L AND BACK OVER MY L SHOULDER AND SPOTTED THE TFC TURNING FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE A L BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 36L. DURING THIS PHASE OF FLT I LET MY ALT DEVIATE BY 200 TO 300 FT BELOW 3000 FT. I DO NOT THINK THAT ATC GAVE US A GOOD POSITION ON THE TFC; I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS TFC THAT WE WERE TOLD TO LOOK FOR AT THE TWO O' CLOCK POSITION COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO OUR SEVEN O' CLOCK POSITION AND HAVE BEEN MAKING WHAT APPEARED TO BE A L TURN ON TO FINAL FOR RWY 36L; AS WE WERE ARRIVING IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. I BELIEVE THAT SWITCHING RWYS AND APPROACHES IN CLOSE TO THE ARPT ESPECIALLY AT BUSY ARPTS IS A MAJOR DISTRACTION FOR PLTS AND CTLRS. THESE ISSUES LED TO A HIGHER WORKLOAD THAN NORMAL COUPLED WITH POOR ADVISORIES ON THE TFC DISTRACTED ME ENOUGH TO CAUSE MY ALT DEV.