Lyn,
Not even remotely close to Melbourne so can't help you there. I am a school music teacher, voice was my applied instrument, piano secondary, in my college years. When I got tongue cancer, and heard about all the horendous things that were going to happen to my tongue, radiation to my neck, I asked about singing, because, while I'm not a professional singer like you, I was professionally trained, and sing on a daily basis in school, teach singing, and sing in public! My doctors and other professionals said variously, "oh, well," "it will make a difference", "when you are talking about singing like you are it will be difficult because of the blood vessel damage of radiation", and my medical oncologist said: "you'll be ok--I have had radio/television announcers who depend on their voices for a living and they are back at it."

I found out that I can indeed sing the same as before, although I need to work at it more slowly here at home before I get back to school. (better do that this week and next) I think it is because singing is more dependent upon breathing than anything else. I think I ennuciate better when singing than I do when I talk. I practice lip trills which help me with rolling my tongue, but I "only" lost 1/4 of it and have no flap, so don't know what kind of difference that makes.

Now as to help for tightness. I got into lymphedema therapy less than 3 months post treatment, not that I had such bad lymphedema but I was told I could use it and it would help circulation and in theory prevent fibrosis. One of the exercises they gave me was inside my mouth, massaging my tongue. I think it has helped a lot. For it to be beneficial, I was told, you have to do all the lymphatic massage to your head and neck first, instead of just doing the massage to your tongue. But, I have done the massage by itself at times, how could it hurt? I always notice that I have more saliva after I do this massage.

I am seeing a physio (physical therapist to me) next week about other fibrosis issues in my neck. So we'll see. I just decided I was going to do everything I could to help myself be the best I could be, considering everything that has been done to me, which I realize is no more than what others on this site have endured.

If you cannot find anyone to help you with this in Melbourne let me know. You can "PM" me and I'll try to point you to some helpful information.

Keep on singing!
Anne