A Beautiful Day at the Romero Creations Open House

My heart is so full! This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Romero Creations Open House, where attendees were able to come to Pepe Romero Jr.’s shop, see instruments, watch performances, and purchase instruments!

This post includes beautiful photos taken by Robert Bender

Romero Creations was founded by Pepe Romero Jr. to provide unique instruments of the highest quality at an affordable price. Pepe Romero Jr. is a master luthier who builds ukuleles, guitars, and more, and it was incredibly special to experience his work in the very place where these instruments are brought to life.

The open house featured performances by Sophia Romero, Daniel Ho, and myself. Daniel Ho is a six-time Grammy Award–winning artist, instrument designer, music producer, and ukulele virtuoso, and he shared insight into the thoughtful design process behind Romero Creations instruments. He spoke about how important it is to achieve a truly balanced and beautiful sound, and you could feel the passion and care poured into each instrument. He also played several gorgeous pieces so we could hear that craftsmanship in action.

Pepe’s daughter, Sophia, performed several of her original songs on both guitar and ukulele. Her voice was absolutely stunning (full of emotion, beautifully projected, and completely captivating). It was one of those performances that made the room feel quiet and attentive in the best way.

Adding to the charm of the day, Pepe’s son, Owen, stepped in as a junior barista, serving coffee to attendees. There were also refreshments and pizza for everyone, which helped create a relaxed, community-centered atmosphere.

For my performance, I invited my friends to play with me. Yoshi, played ukulele while I played saxophone. Yoshi is a singer from Okinawa, Japan, who also plays ukulele and sanshin. Her playing is delicate and expressive, and her voice is incredibly beautiful.

After our set, I invited Nolan to the stage. Nolan is a multi-talented musician with a wonderful sense of humor. I am always learning more about music from him. Both Yoshi and Nolan sounded fantastic, especially with the support of the lovely Romero Creations instruments.

Between performances, I had the opportunity to talk with attendees, hear their stories, and share more about Romero Creations instruments. One interaction especially moved me: I spoke with someone who had never played a musical instrument before. We talked about how ukulele players don’t need to read traditional music notation to make music. I showed her some song sheets and chord charts, and she was amazed by how accessible and easy it could be.

Later in the day, Daniel Ho invited all of us musicians to jam just for fun. We played The Lion Sleeps Tonight (C, F, C, G) and Daniel’s song Pineapple Mango.

The jam continued, the sanshin made an appearance, and Yoshi and Daniel shared a beautiful duet together playing the song Miagete Goran Yoru No Hoshi Wo.

The event ran from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and took place at Romero Creations Headquarters, located at 1698 Ord Way in Oceanside, California.

The Romero family and Daniel Ho hosted a truly beautiful event filled with kindness, connection, and a shared love of music. If you’d like to learn more about Romero Creations, you can visit their website at romerocreations.com.

I almost forgot an important detail! During the event we played Strummin' by the Oceanside, which is the official theme song for the Oceanside Ukulele Festival!

Would you like to come? Here are more details: 

• October 10, 2026
  
• 11:00am - 5:00pm
• Free Admission!
• Civic Center Plaza 300 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA 92054, USA

Hosted by Pepe Romero Jr. and Daniel Ho in collaboration with the Oceanside Public Library. To learn more, click here