Which term describes the use of musical structures to represent feelings or events?

The concept you're looking for is encapsulated by the term iconicity, which refers to the direct relationship between music and the feelings or events it represents. Iconicity captures how music can symbolize or depict specific meanings, emotions, or experiences through its inherent qualities, such as melody, rhythm, and dynamics.

For example, a rising melodic line often conveys a sense of hope or upliftment, while dissonance may be used to evoke feelings of tension or discomfort. This ability of music to reflect and represent human emotions and experiences makes iconicity particularly relevant in fields like music therapy, where therapists utilize these musical elements to foster emotional expression and connection in clients.

The other options represent different theoretical concepts within music and psychology but do not specifically refer to the idea of musical structures representing feelings or events. Optimal complexity theory relates to the balance of challenge and engagement in response to music. The theory of expectations addresses how listeners anticipate musical events based on their previous experiences. The cue redundancy model focuses on how multiple cues can enhance the perception of a stimulus, rather than directly linking music to emotions or specific events. Thus, iconicity stands out as the most appropriate term in this context.