Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
In many cultures, the number three symbolizes good fortune and positive outcomes. This belief certainly holds true for the University of West Alabama band program and the Hayes siblings— Juliana, Jesalyn, and Jordyn.
Music has been a constant since they were old enough to talk. Growing up in Millry, Alabama, as the daughters of a bi-vocational pastor, the sisters frequently sang at church and other community events alongside their mother. Their younger brother, they recalled, was always too shy to join in. As they grew older, all three siblings began to play musical instruments.
Their love for music extended into their 1A school band, where each sibling brought a unique talent. Juliana, the eldest, played the clarinet. A gifted musician, Jesalyn began on the saxophone but soon switched to trumpet, prompting her sisters to brag that “she can play any instrument her hands touch.” The youngest, Jordyn, followed Juliana’s footsteps by playing the clarinet and later rose to the drum major position.
Exceptionally close, the girls view each other as best friends and sisters. So, it wasn’t surprising to anyone— especially their parents—when they all ended up at UWA. However, it was Juliana who paved the way.
“It’s kind of funny,” Jordyn said with a laugh. “When we were little, we all said we’d go to different colleges. But once Juliana came—”
“—to UWA,” Jesalyn chimed in, and “I saw the campus, and it felt like Millry. I knew right then that this was the place for me, too.”
“And I certainly wasn’t going to be left behind,” Jordyn chuckled.
“I guess there is something about this place,” Juliana said, and all three girls laughed.
For Juliana, joining the band at UWA was not just about continuing her musical journey; it was also a way to make her mark and gain “built-in” friends from day one. “I wasn’t used to being separated from my sisters,” she admitted. The band helped fill the void her sisters left behind and gave her a sense of purpose.
Although she had been the drum major throughout high school, Juliana initially played the clarinet and then saxophone during her first two years with the UWA Bands. She tried out for drum major before her junior year, the same year Jesalyn arrived on campus.
While Jesalyn had already decided to attend UWA, she had no intention of following her sister into the band. Dr. Tyler Strickland, director of bands at UWA, had other ideas.
“He wanted to recruit Jesalyn so badly,” Juliana explained. “I, along with some other band students, went with him to our high school in Millry, where Dr. Strickland did his best to persuade Jesalyn to give the band a chance.”
“I wouldn’t be in the band at UWA if not for Dr. Strickland,” Jesalyn said. “He not only pushed me to try it, but he assured me it would be a great experience, and it has been.”
For Jordyn, joining UWA Bands in her first year of college was a final chance for all the sisters to be together on the field one last time. “We thought it would be fun to march one final season together,” she stated.
All three girls have nothing but praise for Dr. Strickland and assistant band director Brianna Jarvis. “They care about us. We’re not just a number,” Juliana noted.
“He’s also an excellent recruiter. Last year was my first year in the band, and we were able to go to a high school where we performed our halftime show at their game and then played stand tunes with the students. It’s a very effective tool,” Jesalyn said.
“That’s because high school students typically aren’t going to talk to the band director,” Julianna explained. “We’re his biggest recruiters because students feel comfortable talking to us college band members.”
“He also invites high school students to come to campus and march with the West Alabama Marching Band,” Jordyn shared. “I got to do that before I joined Juliana and Jesalyn on campus. It was a lot of fun!”
Although the sisters all share a common bond with music, their career goals vary widely. Juliana always knew she would work in the medical field. She recalls, “Even when we played dress up as little girls, my medical bag was part of my outfit.” Next summer, after completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she will continue her training before enrolling in a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program.
Jesalyn is enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance program at UWA. She plans to apply to the Alternate-A Master’s in Education program after completing her undergraduate degree. “I always wanted to be a math teacher, but I spent a lot of time with my mama, an accountant, and I thought her job looked fun and interesting. I will have several career options by the time I finish school.”
Jordyn’s early enthusiasm for teaching was evident from the start, as her bedroom transformed into a classroom with stuffed animals serving as her students. “Teaching has always been something I have wanted to do. I have a passion for children and their success,” she said. Driven by this passion, she continued to pursue her dream and is enrolled in the University’s Early Childhood/Elementary Education degree program.
Even though their careers may eventually lead them down different paths, the sisters remain adamant that they will never be split up.
“We may never work together,” Juliana noted, “but we all want to live close to each other and our parents.”
“We’re a package deal,” Jordyn laughed as Juliana and Jesalyn joined in. And that’s the way they like it.