This paper reports a project organized by Sibelius-Academy Department of Folk Music and Tampere University, Department of Music Anthropology in 2008-2010. The goal of the project was to develop and implement a master program for "rytmimusiikki" (lit. "rhythm music" in Seinajoki, Finland--a musically active provincial area previously without music-related higher education programs. In the program, research and professional musicianship were combined in the frame of a student-centered curriculum that also emphasized active work-life connections and flexible study options. Aiming at developing a new kind of expertise in Finnish work market for non-classical musicians, the project sets out to explore the combined ideals of "researching musician" and "musicing researcher". We will discuss the points of departure of this premise, map the developmental phases and outcomes of the project, as well as highlight some of the problems that arouse during the process. The findings of this developmental research are based on student and teacher interviews, feedback surveys and personal experiences of the planners. Two appendixes present: (1) Course Syllabus; and (2) Student's Evaluation of the Statements of the Program (n = 8). (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 9 footnotes.)