Calbi earned his bachelor's degree in Mass Communications at Fordham University where he studied with Marshall McLuhan and his staff for 3 of those years.

During these college years, Calbi drove an NYC cab and sold ladies shoes, and was intent on becoming a documentary filmmaker.

During this time, Calbi helped Tom cut the lacquers for Stevie Wonder's Innervisions among others from the notes that George had left.

Calbi worked at the Record Plant until 1976 when a position was offered to him by Lee Hulko, owner of Sterling Sound.

[1] During his early years at Sterling, Calbi worked alongside Lee Hulko, George Marino and Ted Jensen, and became known for mastering punk classics for The Ramones, Talking Heads and Patti Smith, as well as Tom Petty, Bill Frisell, Aretha Franklin and Todd Rundgren among others.