Ahn was an active musician through almost his entire life. Music was one of his greatest passions along with his love of the ocean and naturally his love of painting. Playing numerous instruments with a high level of skill, Ahn recounts in his memoir waiting in line for hours among his schoolmates to have a single turn at the piano at 2AM, as working musical instruments could be hard to come by in the war-torn country. This passion for expression through music extended beyond piano to include clarinet and cello. In some rare figurative works, Ahn would even depict actual musicians playing these instruments. This was especially true when he first relocated to California, and painted portraits of the musicians whom he counted among his newfound friends.

Rhythm perhaps underscores Ahn’s engagement with the world: the rhythm of music, the rhythm of the ocean, the rhythm of painting. Integrating sheet music into his paintings was a natural exploration on the relationship.