Short answers, pulled from the story.
Music was central to Roman religious practice. The tibia, a double-reed woodwind, was played at animal sacrifices and was likely the most important instrument in the Roman Imperial cult. Cymbals and drums served the cult of Cybele, rattles were used in the cult of Isis, and the Salian priests danced and sang through the city to honor Mars.
Ancient Romans used a wide range of instruments including the tuba (a straight bronze trumpet about 1.3 meters long), the cornu (a curved metal horn), the tibia (a double-reed woodwind), the seven-stringed cithara, the lyre, the lute (pandura), and the hydraulic pipe organ known as the hydraulis. Percussion instruments included cymbals, rattles, tambourines, and a hinged time-keeping device called the scabellum.
According to The Twelve Caesars, Nero trained his voice by avoiding foods and drinks he considered harmful, purging himself with vomiting and enemas, and lying on his back with a lead sheet placed on his chest. This regimen reflects the broader Roman belief that vocal quality was tied to physical discipline.
The hydraulis was a hydraulic pipe organ powered by water pressure, described by ancient sources as one of the most significant technical and musical achievements of antiquity. Air was pumped into a dome submerged in a water tank, compressing the air and displacing the water to provide a steady supply to the pipes. It accompanied gladiatorial contests, arena events, stage performances, and was one of the instruments Nero played.
Symphoniaci were private musical concerts held in ancient Rome, associated in ancient sources with debauchery. Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, who served as consul in 58 BCE, was known to host such gatherings, and his house was described as filled with singing and cymbals. Private musicians, sometimes specially trained slaves, could also be hired to perform at dinners and parties.
Romans believed music could incite strong emotions and held significant influence over character. Cicero and Aristides Quintilianus held that music could ennoble the populace, while Cicero also quoted Plato's warning that musical change could herald political change in a state. Many Roman writers, including Plato, Seneca, and Cicero, also believed that music carried the risk of effeminizing men.