I actually disliked Slayer until my late teens/early twenties because of the solos. Now, of course, I love them and despite my best efforts to NOT do so... I could, musically, be considered a bit of a Slayer baby (an actually term for musicians/bands who atonally thrash out a la Slayer).
 
And now later in life I am even finding an appreciation for Greg Ginn's sonically bent solo mayhem.
 
I wonder if that's a sign of new neural pathways developing that can accept "non-standard" melody/harmony or a slow descent into dementia/madness.
 
The latter sounds kind of soothing actually.

Was fed a diet of Frank Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Steely Dan from the age of 2 or 3. Was a huge fan of "One Size Fits All" by the age of 4. So I think my ears have always been accustomed to non-standard harmony. In fact I find it harder to remember simpler melodies.

About 8, through either one these probably

None of the music you two describe is atonal.

eph221
None of the music you two describe is atonal.

I kind of didn't want to say anything but... ya. I don't consider "modal" or quirky "chord to chord" stuff to be atonal.
 
I am not a classically trained though so perhaps I am misusing words in an attempt to appear SMRT.
 
So let's say "noise that should not make sense but somehow does... if you squint your earballs in just the right way".
 
;-)

Beepster
 
 
I kind of didn't want to say anything but... ya. I don't consider "modal" or quirky "chord to chord" stuff to be atonal.
 
I am not a classically trained though so perhaps I am misusing words in an attempt to appear SMRT.
 
So let's say "noise that should not make sense but somehow does... if you squint your earballs in just the right way".
 
;-)

 
The first one was joke, Les Dawson was very clever at playing badly. The Monk piece isn't Atonal, but there was an atonality to his voicing. that as a kid I liked when he was being played. So this is where I first appreciated Atonality.  His atonality and phrasing meant many listeners write him off.
 
I never got Ornette Coleman though, so I probably ddn't progress much further
 
 

eph221
None of the music you two describe is atonal.

Zappa had elements of atonality all over his music. 

The Beatles - Day in a life. I remember hearing that when it came out originally - I was probably 8 - 9 years old.

14 yrs
 
Atonal?

sharke

eph221
None of the music you two describe is atonal.

Zappa had elements of atonality all over his music. 

Atonality doesn't merely have atonal elements, it means against tonality, or actually conspiring to lack tonality.  What frank zappa did was more chromatic designs than atonal designs.  Just like A-theism presumes a god that doesn't exist (and hence a god that exists over against that which they say doesn't exist) a-tonality presumes tonality (which is absent.)  BTW Webern is my favorite of the atonal composers but I can't help hysterically laughing at Pierrot Lunaire (by schoenberg)when I hear it live.  Sometimes I think the composers are telling us not to take things so seriously,  like a caricature of Marlene Dietrich singing three penny opera.