He won his first piping competition at the age of ten, and went on to become a regular winner at piping  competitions around Northumberland, although now he is more usually found on the other side of the judge's table.

In 2002 Andy became a full-time musician and splits his time between playing, making Northumbrian and Uilleann pipes, and teaching. He has released several albums to critical acclaim, both solo and with the Andy May Trio. He also plays regularly with Baltic Crossing, and Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies, along with various other projects!

He is also in great demand as a teacher of pipes, having tutored on courses around the U.K, Europe, and the U.S.A.