As a toddler, Andrew Barrett's frequent trips to the Central Park carousel led to an interest in band organs, orchestrions, and other automatic musical instruments, together with a taste for the turn of the century tunes they played.

Andrew has a dual interest in percussion and ragtime piano. His ragtime piano playing is largely self-taught. His compositions are influenced by a variety of modern-day ragtime composers as well as vintage and modern music of all types.

At the 2008 Old-Time Piano-Playing Contest in Peoria, Illinois, he placed sixth in the Adult Division. In the New Rag contest, he won second place for his Humanitaur Rag.