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Every year, he faces the same challenge -- organizing a two-week instructional camp for students from across the nation, accommodating dozens of world-class teachers for that camp ... and trying to spread the word that for 12 of the camp's 14 nights, the public is invited to attend concerts unrivaled in their caliber of musicianship.

It's not always easy for Steve Kaufman and his wife, Donna Dixon. But Monday will mark the 14th year that they've put on the annual Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamps, and the 14th season of the accompanying Acoustic Concert Series, scheduled to take place in the Alumni Gym on the Maryville College campus. It's an event the pair have worked toward for over a year, and while the 2009 camps have yet to even begin, Kaufman is already looking ahead to next year."

"I always put together, I feel, the greatest team in the world, and I start about 18 months ahead of time," Kaufman told The Daily Times this week. "Right now, I have all of my teachers in place for 2010, except for the few I may want to ask back from this year. Out of 50-something-odd teachers, there may be only four slots open for next year."

Kaufman, who makes a living through flatpick guitar instruction -- both workshops and instructional merchandise -- started the first camp as a week of flatpicking lessons. Over the years, the camps have grown to include classes in mandolin, banjo, fingerpick guitar and old-time banjo. The camps make up the largest banjo, mandolin and flatpicking camps in the world, and the difficulty ranges from advanced classes to courses for those who have never played an instrument before.

As the classes have grown, so have the need for instructors, and Kaufman annually recruits some of the best instrumentalists in the world every year. One of the traditions has been the nightly concert series, which has gained a reputation in its own right. The challenge boils down to this -- getting the word out to East Tennesseans that they have the opportunity, every night the camps are in session, to experience live music by some of the world's masters of their particular instruments.

"This year, the draw is Celtic and pop music, but for next year, we've got Pete Huttlinger, who does everything almost better than everybody else," Kaufman said. "We've also got Pat Kirtley. People like that are recognized through their instructional material on Homespun and Mel Bay, and next year's team leans more toward the blues slant."

Students who come to attend the workshops -- broken into two separate weeks -- rely on Kaufman for the quality of instruction as well as the opportunity to watch their idols -- and those performing instructors they may have never heard off -- perform each night.

"One thing that I've found is that people who come to the camp, for the most part, are trusting me and my judgment, whether they know the person teaching or not," Kaufman said. "We have a ton of people signing up for week one, which is the week that I'm teaching, because I've worked with a lot of them before, and they want to work with me for an entire week instead of jut a weekend.

"For the students, it's a great price for what we offer -- seven nights, all under $800 for meals, room and instruction. I'm really thankful that in this time of cautious spending that people are cautiously spending their money on the camps."

For the general public, the excitement is in discovering new music, witnessing top-notch playing and being in the audience for impromptu jam sessions that likely won't be found anywhere else. Kaufman gives each of his instructors a solo slot during the nightly concert series, and the individual musicians work out among themselves with whom they'll perform.

"That's how the duos and trios come about," he said. "It's neat when they do that. What I have to look at is, on a given night, if there's a good mix of instruments and, for the campers' sake, putting on the teachers who are here for the first time and are lesser known on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so they can see what those teachers can do and how well they can do it."

Ten things you should know about the camps and the concerts

1) Including the United States, the performers during the nightly Acoustic Concert Series are from five countries -- "not counting Texas, which feels like it should be its own country," Kaufman said. "So really, it would be six countries."

2) There is no "grand finale" -- no single night designed to showcase better performances or more talented instructors. "Saturday night might be the best night, but Monday night might be the best as well," Kaufman said.

3) Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door -- "back to 2005 ticket prices in this cautious economy," he said. "Plus, people can go online to www.acoustic-kamp.com, click on the concert schedule, click on 'download this coupon' and get $2 off the door price, so they effectively pay at the door what they would if they bought their ticket in advance."

4) Maryville College students, employees and alumni get discounts at the door -- one reason many alumni who return for their annual "Ken Takahashi Week" of public service back to their alma mater schedule their visits around the camps so they can attend the concerts, Kaufman added.

5) Over a two-week period, the Acoustic Concert Series will feature 59 performers.

6) Yes, the concerts are still a go, despite the fact Wilson Chapel, where the performances were once held, was torn down to make way for the Clayton Center for the Performing Arts, which isn't yet completed. "I get asked a lot, 'Are you going to have your concerts this year? You're not in the new building yet, are you?'" Kaufman said.

7) The Maryville Kiwanis Club, he added, will be on hand again this year to sell concessions during the concerts, proceeds of which go to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Over the years, Kiwanis and the camps have raised $15,000 for the facility, Kaufman said.

8) Kaufman himself will perform two nights during each of the camp's two weeks.

9) Prizes will be given out -- to campers and to concert-goers. "We have unbelievable door prizes for the students and the general public," he said. "Every night when people come in, they'll get a raffle ticket. We'll draw numbers during the first half of the show, and during intermission, they can go and find their number posted along with the prize to see what they've won. For students, there's a lot of instructional stuff, and for the general public, there's a lot of listening stuff -- CDs from the performers."

10) "This is the best acoustic concert series in East Tennessee," Kaufman said. "Every year, I'm told that people are saving up for three things -- the camps, Merlefest and Bonnaroo."