Paul Cierley

Biography

Paul Cierley is the guitar instructor at Bakersfield College. He studied jazz and classical guitar under Mary Osborne and studied with Doug Davis at CSUB. He has been involved in music performance since the 1980s, playing in various styles including rock, country and jazz, and has been teaching professionally for over 20 years. A Bakersfield native, has been playing guitar since 1977. He studied under legendary jazz guitarist, Mary Osborne and earned a bachelor's degree from Cal State University Bakersfield, studying under Doug Davis. He has performed with jazz greats Pete Christlieb, Ernie Watts and Diane Shure and has had numerous appearances at the Bakersfield Jazz Festival. During the ‘90s, Paul played and recorded with many local groups, including Mento Buru and Street Players, and performed regularly at The Crystal Palace. Paul spent time in San Diego and Los Angeles, playing in Country and Jazz bands. Returning to Bakersfield in 2005, He continued to perform and began focusing on teaching, joining the Bakersfield College staff in 2019 as the Guitar instructor. Paul’s experience runs the gamut of musical styles, from Rock, Reggae and Blues to Classical, Country and Jazz.