RODDY o-iii<O

Trumpet Celebrity Interviews

[ a celebration of the artistry of ALL styles of Trumpet ]






MALCOLM   BOYD   McNAB






"Malcolm plays trumpet like very very few" - Aaron Copland




"He's my principal first trumpet in everything I do" - Jerry Goldsmith





some background info....

Solo appearances include the California Chamber Symphony, Denver Symphony, Los Angeles Pops, Hollywood Bowl, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and the Pasadena Pops. Two-time winner of the Most Valuable Player Award of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, McNab has appeared on numerous records with major recording artists from 1970 to the present such as the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra, L.A. Chamber Orchestra, N.Y. City Opera also popular artists such as Dionne Warwick, Frank Zappa, Peggy Lee, and The Carpenters. He can be heard on the Olympic recordings of 1984,1988,and 1992.


His television experience includes playing in the Academy Awards, Grammy, and Emmy Awards orchestras for many years; performing on the title tracks of the major network news themes, and, SOLO performances on such TV shows as "Deep Space Nine", "Highway to Heaven", and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman".


McNab's motion picture soundtrack credits number over 1,500 from 1970 to the present and include: E.T. , Jaws , Cocoon: The Return , Indiana Jones , Star Trek (1 thru 6), Field of Dreams , Pretty Woman , Dick Tracy , Home Alone , Edward Scissorhands , Beauty & the Beast , Rocketeer Robin Hood , Jurassic Park , Batman and Robin , Batman Forever , Waterworld , The Net , Toy Story , Mars Attacks , 101 Dalmations , Liar, Liar , Lost World , Men in Black (1 &2) , etc..


His solo trumpet can be heard on such soundtracks as: Dances with Wolves , Independence Day , The Gambler , Crimson Tide Twister , Con Air , Air Force One , U.S.Marshalls , Renaissance Man, Toys, and L.A. Confidential .


Teaching experience at the college level includes positions at U.C.L.A., Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Pomona College and at the Claremont Music Festival. In addition he has lectured at the International Trumpet Guild and the New York Brass Conference.




T H E   I N T E R V I E W




  • Your web address, and would you like to include an email?

    site... www.malcolmmcnab.com

    email... malcolm@malcolmmcnab.com

    email... midloth@earthlink.net


  • Was your family background musical?

    My father, Boyd McNab, had a trumpet and played 2 tunes around the house- "At Sundown" and "Sugar Blues". This is probably why, when I was 9 years old at school, I chose the trumpet in the beginning instruments program. My mom, Lillian, played piano, although we did not have one in the house until much later. Quite a few of her family from Ireland played piano and/or church organ.


  • What made you decide to play trumpet?

    As I mentioned, hearing my Dad play at home was the reason it had to be the trumpet. However, as I became more interested, I was discouraged from pursuing playing as a career. The feeling was that one could not make a decent living as a musician. Because of the competition in the part of the music business I ended up in, I must say that you have more chance of becoming an astronaut than making a living as a studio musician. Having said that, I cannot stress enough that determination is an important factor in being successful in any field.


  • At what age did you start?

    9 years old. This year is my 50th year playing trumpet.


  • On leaving education, have you always been a full time musician?

    I went through the 2nd year of college. At that point, I was offered my first professional gig, and joined the musician's union. I went on an 8 week tour of the United States with the San Francisco Ballet - mostly one nighters. When I returned to LA, I was being drafted. This was 1964 and during the Vietnam conflict.

    I chose to enlist for the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, New York which was a permanent assignment for 3 years and only 50 miles from New York City. After that, I never got back to school and after a year in a brass quintet in Maine, returned to LA and started a freelance career and have been here ever since.


  • Describe your early experiences of semi / pro work.

    My first semi-pro gigs were in the community orchestras and churches around the Los Angeles area. Usually there were pros from the studios playing in a lot these gigs. This was probably important exposure which helped me eventually work my way into studio work.


  • What theatre experience have you had?

    Within a year of returning from the East (1969), I got a job playing in "My Fair Lady" at the LA Civic Light Opera and spent the next 20 years off and on in some kind of theatre work at the Music Center, Pantages Theatre, Schubert Theatre, etc.


  • What Orchestral experience have you had?

    From the age of 15 I played in the Pasadena Symphony, Also, over the years, in orchestras like Pacific Symphony, LA Chamber Orchestra, Glendale Symphony, California Chamber Symphony, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and the LA Philharmonic (sub and extra).


  • What film recording experience have you had?

    More than 1500 movie and tv soundtracks.

    See Credits   A - L

    See Credits A - L 2

    See Credits A - L 3

    See Credits A - L 4

    See Credits   M - Z

    See Credits M - Z 2

    See Credits M - Z 3






  • What session (Jingles / TV) experience have you had?

    Many sessions for records, jingles, and tv over the past 32 years.

    See TV Credits




  • What small group / ensemble experience have you had?

    Chamber music including brass quintets, chamber orchestras, etc.


  • Other work experiences? (Big Band etc...)

    A little bit of everything. I have worked with everyone from Aaron Copland to Frank Zappa. All of the music heard on a soundtrack, including background in an elevator, in a restaurant, at a concert or an opera, etc. is usually recorded by the same musicians who play the dramatic underscoring.

    Playing all types of music and in all situations is the best way to prepare for the kind of work I have been doing for the past 32 years.


  • Would you list some of your recording work for others.

    I have recorded with Frank Zappa, Peggy Lee, Singers Unlimited, The Carpenters, New York City Opera, LA Philharmonic, LA Chamber Orchestra, et al.


  • Would you list your past solo recordings

    Sonatas for Brass - Maria Newman LA Confidential soundtrack The Last Castle soundtrack Dances with Wolves soundtrack


  • Any news on new projects?


    New soundtracks----


    Spiderman

    Men in Black 2,

    Treasure Planet,

    Showtime,

    Blade 2,

    Clockstoppers,

    Bad Company,

    Blackhawk Down,

    Queen of the Damned,

    Mr. Deeds,

    Dragonfly,

    Minority Report,

    2002 Academy Awards,

    20th Anniversary of ET, et al.


  • Favourite four albums?

    Difficult to choose just four!


  • Favourite two movies?

    Difficult to choose just two!!


  • Favourite three foods? (eg. Thai / Chinese / French)

    VERY difficult to choose only three!!!


  • Non-musical hobbies / points of interest you enjoy?

    Bagpipes and crowd control.

    Aaron Shaw [Bagpipe tutor]



    Seriously - family history, video and audio production and editing.


  • Do you take days off from playing? (how does it affect you?)

    I do not play everyday when I am not working. After a few days of not playing, I start to feel a bit out of touch chop wise, however it is quite beneficial mentally to let it go for a while longer.


  • Three Trumpet tips you wish to share with the readers.

    Spend a lot of your practice time with the basics of tone production, (i.e. soft long tones, mouthpiece buzzing)

    Always play in the center of the pitch, moving between notes from pitch center to pitch center.

    Try to produce the tone efficiently with the least amount of pressure possible, relying more on steady air, alignment, and pitch center.


  • End of interview sentiment.

    I would suggest to those players who want to be more consistent from day to day, more efficient in tone production, and better all around players that they should check out what people who are in the most competitive work are doing to keep themselves in top shape.

    The line of work I am involved in requires very consistent playing and, of course, an extremely high level of concentration. I never have been comfortable not knowing why it does or does not feel good playing from day to day. That is why I pay close attention to the fundamentals of tone production on a daily basis.

    No matter how many high notes you can play, how much technique you have, or how loud or soft you can play - you do not have anything unless you can pull it off when it is time to do so.

    I have had many teachers over the 50 years I have played, but only one has given me what I really needed to get through this career -

    -- Jimmy Stamp.

    I hope that people do not sell Jimmy Stamp short and lump him into a group of methods with many others. He was an analytical genius of brass playing. In the 65 + years that he taught, Jimmy stayed completely open to anything that would make playing easier and more efficient. He was, until the end, a student himself. He always gave credit to the people who gave him new things that worked. Schlossberg, Shubruck, Maggio, Cecil Reed, and any student who came through the door who had discovered something different that really worked.

    Cecil Reed was one of the most consistent 1st trumpet players in Hollywood, playing shows live from coast to coast on the radio. Jimmy was often sitting next to him and trying to figure out how he was so damned consistent. A lot of Reed's warm up found it's way into Stamp's routine.

    At the time I started with Stamp, he was teaching players in the LA Philharmonic as well as the entire trumpet and trombone section from Les Brown's band. I spent 20 years off and on studying with Jimmy and it has been 42 years that I have been following his concepts.
    To me, it is just the "rules of the road" that I always observe while playing.

    Thank you Roddy for giving me the chance to write these thoughts.

    Malcolm

    www.malcolmmcnab.com


    [ Rod says - "Malcolm has a neat set of tapes available to purchase...I thought it pertinent to add this here..." ]
    6 Hours of vintage cornet & trombone records on
    4 cassettes for ONLY $28.00 PER SET Plus P & H.

    This tape features such legendary pioneers of Brass as:

  • Herbert L. Clarke
  • John Dolan
  • Bohumir Kryl
  • Jules Levy
  • Alessandro Liberati
  • Alice Raymond
  • Walter B. Rogers
  • Lloyd Shakespeare
  • Del Staigers
  • George Swift
  • Edna White
  • Harry Glantz
  • Herman Bellstedt
  • Leroy Haines
  • Jaroslav Cimera
  • Robert Isle
  • Arthur Pryor
  • Leo Zimmerman
  • Leonard Falcone
     ...And Many Others click here for OLD BRASS RECORDINGS 1898 - 1940



    Thank you very much indeed for sharing your thoughts with the
    ' Trumpet Web Community '. 21st February 2002


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