Brothers" passion for music a South Side inspiration finally tonight, most mentions of the city of chicago of late have, sadly, concerned gun violence, but tonight we have a story about two brothers enjoying a lot of success and showing some kids something they never thought possible. the mcgill brothers are among a group of 100 african-americans featured on our nbc news website, thegrio.com, and tonight ron allen has their story. reporter: passion and artistry lift the mcgill brothers to lofty heights. demarre plays lead flute with the seattle symphony . kid brother anthony is the principal clarinettist for the world-renowned new york metropolitan opera . rising stars in the rarefied world of classical music , where just 4% of the musicians in national orchestras are african-american or latino. why classical music ? i was drawn to the stories that i heard as a kid, musical stories, and my imagination would just go wild. when i was listening to an orchestra or i was playing the clarinet, somehow, it got deeper into my soul. reporter: they started on the south side of chicago , known for its urban problems, not the classics. hi, sweetheart! reporter: parents ira, a retired teacher, and demarre sr., a former firefighter, say they mortgaged the house five times to pay for lessons. the pads look good. reporter: they still have demarre's first flute and a little something he scribbled down when he was just 15. "goals for the future, to be the best artist in the world wlfer they perform on stage, it's almost like you forget to breathe. reporter: they attribute their success to a chicago non-profit that's been offering free lessons to inner city kids after school since 1979 , the merit school, where they're now treated like rock stars . they provided us a community of people that look like us doing the same thing. reporter: they won competitions, scholarships to prestigious schools, and at age 14 and 18, performed in a very special neighborhood. bravo, gentlemen. reporter: where's the rivalry? all siblings have rivalries. who got better grades in school? oh, see, well, there you go. you probably did. reporter: now their goal is to inspire. and share their love of music. it brings feelings to you and it helps you express yourself . reporter: while taking their place among the great musicians of their time. ron allen , nbc news,