The Noisy Box

It's no secret that making music is lots of fun... but it's noisy.  As I'm prone to migraines, I tend not to love toys that bang or beep, however, as a young person I used to play classical flute so I very much appreciate the value of learning to play an instrument.  If you're facing the same love-hate dilemma, what can you do?
Make a Noisy Box.
Our Noisy Box is a plastic container filled with musical instruments and offensively noisy toys.  When I'm feeling up to it, the box goes outside on a picnic mat and the kids go crazy.  I always join in the band performance at some stage, but can retreat at other times.
The Noisy Box is a big hit when friends come over for a play date.  You can set them up, their eyes bug out at all the choices, and then you run inside for coffee, biscuits and a chat with the mums.  When everyone has gone home, throw everything back in, close the lid, and put it away.  The fact that it's not readily accessible all the time seems to heighten the joy of opening the box.
Music doesn't have to be self made either.  Putting on a movie soundtrack is a great idea for parties.  Pick a movie that has a similar theme, feel or genre; such as nautical / magical / super hero / romance / adventure.  Then look for it's sound track.  The bubbly / mystical / dynamic / lovely / fast pace of the songs will create a fun backdrop when you're eating, playing or mingling... go on... make some music!