2 Docs & A Box help nonprofits while performing

Their performance in November at Slainte Irish Pub Monkey Junction raised $195 for Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

By Stephanie Bowens StarNews Correspondent

WILMINGTON -- Two local doctors are rocking out, sharing their love of music and supporting local nonprofits and charities at the same time.

Brian Donner, a nephrologist at Southeastern Nephrology Associates in Wilmington (nephrology is a branch of medicine concerted with the kidneys), and James Hunt, Ph.D., a professor in the marketing department at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, make up the acoustic duo called 2 Docs & A Box.

Formed in 2014, they play cover music of various genres at local events and local venues such as pubs, bars and restaurants.

Donner, who sings lead in most of the songs, plays the guitar. Hunt sings and plays congas as well as a wooden box drum called a cajon, an old South American instrument believed to have originated in Peru.

The cajon has a hole in the back and a set of snares on the inside leaning against the drum's front panel. Hitting different areas of the box produces different tones of sound.

"It's really fun," Hunt said. "It's completely different from playing a drum kit."

With 281 songs in their repertoire, Two Docs & a Box performs a diverse collection of songs, covering a range of artists from the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Led Zepplin and Elvis to artists such as Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, Cold Play, Bob Dylan, Prince, Dave Matthews Band, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G. and more.

"We both just really like playing music," Hunt said. "It's the fun, the excitement and emotional high you get from performing. It's great."

At each event the duo collects money in a tip cup to donate to local nonprofits and charities, a custom Donner undertook while performing solo before joining with Hunt.

"I'm a physician, and I play music just for the fun of it," Donner said, explaining that he believed it was a good idea to donate his tips to help those in need. "I'm proud with what we are doing. ... I said, let's pick local charities and help bolster our community."

Their performance in November at Slainte Irish Pub Monkey Junction raised $195 for Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, which distributes food to hungry residents of the Wilmington area. Hunt says they've donated to several organizations, including Good Shepherd Center, Wounded Warriors, Nourish NC, the American Heart Association's "Heart Walk" and others.

Hunt and Donner developed a passion for music early in life and played instruments from childhood through adult years -- Hunt played drums and Donner played tuba, guitar and eventually bass.

Hunt played in bands as a youth, played in his high school's marching band in his hometown of Brevard, and was a member of the concert band at High Point University before going to graduate school at Vanderbilt and then Florida State University.

Donner, a Long Island native, started guitar lessons in seventh grade, attended a cultural arts center for music, dance and theater as a junior and senior in high school, and majored in music at Berklee College of Music for a year before deciding to return to Long Island and attending Hofstra University and later entering medical school at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Donner played in bands throughout college. As a member of The Zoo, he performed on the MTV show called Total Request Live with Carson Daly and made appearances on MTV's Ultimate Cover Band contest, winning second place in the 90s. Donner eventually left The Zoo because medical school required more focus.

Both doctors put music aside for years until moving to Wilmington and forming bands with colleagues -- for Donner, Good Night, Irene, a band of physicians, and for Hunt, The Schoolboys, a band consisting of UNCW professors.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/2docsrocks.

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