Amy Dutton Awarded Fiddle Player of the Year

Amy Dutton Awarded Fiddle Player of the Year

The 2nd Annual Branson Terry Music Awards show was held on October 11, 2015 at the Starlite Theatre, and the Duttons were honored to be in attendance. The Duttons received nominations in two categories: Best Show of the Year and Fiddle Player of the Year.

While Best Show went to another nominee, Fiddle Player of the Year was awarded to Amy Dutton Arambulo. There were eight other nominees, and Amy was honored to be selected from among them.

“There are some really good fiddle players in town, so it’s an honor to receive this award,” she said. Amy’s expertise on the violin includes not only crowd-pleasing fiddling, but also great skill in the classical arena, which may be what gives her an edge on the competition.

But she says there’s always more to learn. “I wish I had more time for individual practice to work on classical technique because there is always room for improvement. It helps that I do the show every day because it helps me stay limber, but because I am the show director and a busy mom, my crazy schedule just doesn’t allow for more practice time.”

Amy was honored to be among other award winners like country star Billy Dean (Lifetime Achievement Award), and vocalist Jason Pritchett (Male Vocalist of the Year).

Amy was joined by a handful of other Duttons at the awards show, where they were able to rub shoulders with Branson’s best performers. The theater community don’t generally see each other often–except maybe an occasional sighting around the small town–so the opportunity to gather under one roof was unique and enjoyable. While the shows have a little friendly competition among them, they also support each other and respect each other’s contributions to Branson’s theater scene.

Including Amy’s Best Violinist Award, there were 27 Terry Awards given out for the evening. Amy is the most decorated Dutton with an impressive 10 awards in 12 nominations since the Duttons opened their Branson theater.

Does that put pressure on her to continue to be nominated and awarded?

“I always try my best. I always put as much into my violin as I can. In turn, I hope to be able to win some awards because I put my whole heart and soul into my violin. I love it.”