Raised in the San Gabriel Valley, McNab began studying the trumpet at the age of nine, with his father as his first teacher. Later, he studied with Pasadena maestro Walter Laursen, and performed with the Pasadena Symphony at the age of fourteen while still attending Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra. In 1958 at the age of 15, Malcolm began playing with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra under conductors Dr. Miklos Rosza, Lawrence Foster, Gerhard Samuel and Henry Lewis. He also became the Principal Trumpet and librarian for the Pasadena Symphony under Dr. Richard Lert. It was at that time that Malcolm began his studies with James Stamp, leading him to a most valuable path which he has followed for the past 54 years. After touring with the San Francisco Ballet and service in the U.S. Army, playing with the West Point band, he studied privately in New York City with John Ware and William Vacchiano.
It is the soundtracks of popular films and television shows which have made Malcolm McNab's playing familiar to hundreds of millions of people who have never heard his name. However, in November 2006 Malcolm released his first solo album titled Exquisite. He has also given solo performances on the soundtracks of such television shows as ', Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Highway to Heaven, and has been featured as a solo artist on the soundtracks of numerous films, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Scrooged, ', Coming to America, Indiana Jones, ', The Package, The Karate Kid Part III, The Little Mermaid, Field of Dreams, Glory, The War of the Roses, Always, Hard to Kill, Nightbreed, Pretty Woman, Hoffa, The Edge, Soldier, Dick Tracy, Home Alone, Edward Scissorhands, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Misery, Hook, Beauty and the Beast, Final Analysis, The Rocketeer, Sleepwalkers, ', ', Jurassic Park, Wyatt Earp, Outbreak, First Knight, Small Soldiers, Far and Away, Dinosaur, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Peter Pan, ', National Treasure, Treasure Planet, The Simpsons Movie, Spaceballs, ', Timeline, Spider-Man, ', Meet the Robinsons, The Patriot, Waterworld, Serenity, The Net, My Fellow Americans, Space Jam, Toy Story, James and the Giant Peach, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., The First Wives Club, Mars Attacks!, 101 Dalmatians, Dante's Peak, Liar Liar, Cats & Dogs, Mulan, The Matrix, Planet of the Apes, War of the Worlds, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, The Polar Express, The Wild, The Lost World, The Shadow, Men in Black, Leatherheads, Minority Report, The Pursuit of Happyness, ', Batman & Robin, My Best Friend's Wedding, Hercules, ', Van Helsing, Firewall, Signs, Dreamcatcher, Meet Dave, Monster House, The Sixth Sense, The Sum of All Fears, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hulk, , A Christmas Carol, Lady in the Water, The Happening and WALL-E. His solo trumpet can be heard on such soundtracks as: Dances with Wolves, The Gambler, Avalon, Crimson Tide, City Hall, In Country, Twister, Executive Decision, Independence Day, Con Air, Rudy, The Last Castle, Air Force One, The Postman, Cars, I Am Legend, U.S. Marshals, The Interpreter, Renaissance Man, Toys, Darkman, Maverick, Night at the Museum, L.A. Confidential and The Rock. Malcolm has also found time to teach music at various schools, including UCLA, Pomona College, and branches of the California State University. He has twice been the recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
