Books & Books welcomes acclaimed musicians Mark Lomanno and Dafnis Prieto for an evening of conversation, performance, and insight into the art of improvisation on Tuesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. The free event will take place at the bookstore’s flagship location in Coral Gables (265 Aragon Ave) and centers around two books that push the boundaries of music, education, and creativity: The Improviser’s Classroom: Pedagogies for Cocreative Worldmaking and What Are the Odds.
Both titles, like the artists behind them, challenge conventional thinking about sound, rhythm, and community. The Improviser’s Classroom, edited by Lomanno and a diverse roster of contributors, is more than a pedagogical manual. It is a call to action. Through essays by musicians, educators, and scholars, the book argues for improvisation as a tool for transformation—in the classroom, in communities, and in society. It proposes that improvisation is not only a musical technique, but a mode of co-creation, reciprocity, and care that can help forge equity in a divided world.
Lomanno, a jazz pianist and ethnomusicologist on the faculty at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, brings deep experience as a performer and thinker. His work in the Canary Islands and across the Americas has earned him fellowships and accolades, but it is his belief in the rhythm of dialogue—between cultures, between artist and audience—that most animates his teaching and writing.
Joining him is Dafnis Prieto, the MacArthur “Genius” fellow and Grammy-winning drummer known for his explosive command of rhythm and his innovative contributions to Latin jazz. Prieto is no stranger to the South Florida music scene. As director of the Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra, he continues to influence and inspire students while shaping the next generation of improvisers.
His book What Are the Odds offers a deeply personal and technical exploration of rhythm. With roots in Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Brazilian traditions, Prieto deconstructs and reimagines Latin rhythms through shifting meters and bold experimentation. What emerges is not only a rhythmic primer but an invitation to play, question, and create.
The evening promises more than a book talk. It is an invitation into a space where music becomes language and learning becomes improvisation. With the bookstore as an intimate backdrop, guests can expect spirited discussion, spontaneous performance, and a rare opportunity to engage with two boundary-pushing artists.
Admission is free, but seating is limited. Books will be available for purchase on-site, and signing opportunities will follow the event.
For those who can’t attend in person, Books & Books encourages readers to order copies through their website, supporting both the authors and local literary programming. As improvisation continues to shape how we understand education, music, and community, events like this remind us that the most profound discoveries often happen in the spaces between the notes.
